If I recall well, geocities html chat and the java applet (which was indeed a cots,used as well on chatmefree and the like) were existing at the same time (or maybe only on chatmefree? Memory is fuzzy),these communities were great and I really loved them. It might also be the cause of different fuck up in my life but it's another matter.

When yahoo killed these chat rooms,it was really the end of an era and I actually turned to MMORPG...Le sight.