▁Foundation ▁( publish ers ▁of ▁the ▁Wh ole ▁Earth ▁Catalog ▁and ▁Wh ole ▁Earth ▁Review ) ▁and ▁ 5 0 % ▁by ▁N ET I ▁Techn ologies ▁Inc . ▁a ▁V ancouver - based ▁company ▁of ▁which ▁Larry ▁Br illiant ▁was ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁the ▁chairman . ▁The ▁W E LL ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁d ial - up ▁bullet in ▁board ▁system ▁( B BS ) ▁influenced ▁by ▁E IES , ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁d ial - up ▁I SP s ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁when ▁commercial ▁traffic ▁was ▁first ▁allowed , ▁and ▁changed ▁into ▁its ▁current ▁form ▁as ▁the ▁Internet ▁and ▁web ▁technology ▁evol ved . ▁Its ▁original ▁management ▁team — M att hew ▁Mc Cl ure , ▁soon ▁joined ▁by ▁Cl iff ▁Fig allo ▁and ▁John ▁Co ate — coll abor ated ▁with ▁its ▁early ▁users ▁to ▁fost er ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁virtual ▁community . ▁ ▁G ail ▁Ann ▁Williams ▁was ▁h ired ▁by ▁Fig allo ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁as ▁community ▁manager , ▁and ▁has ▁continued ▁in ▁management ▁roles ▁into ▁the ▁current ▁era . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁The ▁W E LL ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁Bruce ▁R . ▁K atz , ▁founder ▁of ▁Rock port , ▁a ▁manufact urer ▁of ▁walking ▁sho es . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁it ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁Sal on , ▁several ▁of ▁whose ▁found ers ▁such ▁as ▁Scott ▁Ros enberg ▁had ▁previously