B1FF is a fictional profile of a USENET poster character that represents a typical “n00b.” This fictional teenage character uses his brother's VIC-20 computer to log on and post items that illustrate naïveté and inappropriate use of the forum.
The creation of B1FF is often attributed to Joe Talmage, who also authored "The Flamer’s Bible." Eventually, B1FF caught on as a way to lampoon users who breached the net etiquette of the USENET era. Some of these cardinal sins include posting in all capital letters, with many exclamation points or wingding characters, misspellings and engaging in tangential conversations. Having a very long signature block was also a characteristic of B1FF’s speech. The B1FF character illustrates some of the origins of internet trolling and forged identities, and how social communities arise around a particular type of technology.
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