As a recent father, but still quite vested in computers and networks as hobbies, and still without Internet available, I decided to build a BBS and connect it to other BBSes in the area, to exchange information and news.
I used the AT286 Computer my friend Fabien had gotten us for that development project while in ESIGELEC1 that
was pretty much idle at the time, and installed Maximus BBS on it. After
some configuration the BBS was up and running. Server was called La P'tite Famille and was running as a point
(polling from and posting to relays) than as relay itself, due to the requirements for a relay to be able to connect to
other relays on a separate phone line, while connecting one or more users on distinct lines.
Even though that project did not last very long, and was soon supplanted by an actual website, it was still a lot of fun to set up and maintain.
BBS home page screenshot, author: Michael L. Umbricht