▁Earl ▁Cra bb , ▁who ▁died ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁The ▁sale ▁price ▁was ▁reported ▁to ▁be ▁$ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁M embers ▁have ▁no ▁official ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁management , ▁but ▁" can ▁... ▁go ▁back ▁to ▁what ▁they ▁do ▁best : ▁conversation . ▁And ▁compla ining ▁about ▁the ▁management ." ▁ ▁Notable ▁items ▁in ▁W E LL ▁history ▁include ▁being ▁the ▁forum ▁through ▁which ▁John ▁Perry ▁Bar low , ▁John ▁Gil more , ▁and ▁Mitch ▁Kap or , ▁the ▁found ers ▁of ▁the ▁Electron ic ▁Front ier ▁Foundation , ▁first ▁met . ▁Howard ▁R he ing old , ▁an ▁early ▁and ▁very ▁active ▁member , ▁was ▁inspired ▁to ▁write ▁his ▁book ▁The ▁Virtual ▁Community ▁by ▁his ▁experience ▁on ▁The ▁W E LL . ▁According ▁to ▁R he ing old ' s ▁book , ▁The ▁W E LL ' s ▁U sen et ▁feed ▁was ▁for ▁years ▁provided ▁by ▁Apple ▁Computer ▁over ▁U U CP . ▁The ▁W E LL ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁online ▁meeting ▁place ▁for ▁fans ▁of ▁the ▁Gr ateful ▁Dead , ▁especially ▁those ▁who ▁followed ▁the ▁band ▁from ▁concert ▁to ▁concert , ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁The ▁W E LL ▁also ▁played ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁T aked own ▁about ▁the ▁purs uit ▁and ▁capture ▁of ▁Kevin ▁Mit nick . ▁F ounded ▁in ▁S aus al ito , ▁California , ▁the