Going to guess you were cruising BBS, FTP, and Telnet sites? I was just an ignorant preteen coding Qbasic garbage trying to learn programming on my Dad's PC that year. When I read back on Internet history I was a little surprised it was already so active when most people weren't even aware of it yet.
At least now I know how Dad got all them free DOS games.
It's just something for people to tinker with and modify if they wish, and learn from. Kinda like Arduino microcontroller kits. My goal isn't to produce the next iPod. My goal is to open up the iPod and let anyone build one.
I'll be convinced they can fully replace most trade work when they figure out fine motor control and finally build servo or hydraulic systems that don't act all janky and with slop a mile wide. When they can strip a wire, and then terminate it into a screw terminal, and then install an outlet in the wall. All with one robot, using each tool as needed as finely tuned as a human would do it. And also being able to adapt to different situations on the spot. For instance "shit, the hole for the outlet overlaps a stud, wtf do I do to fix this" type stuff.
From what I've seen even from the best like Boston Dynamics, there are still many decades to go before we have fully capable robotic trade workers.
Oldest developer trick in the book. Program in a bunch of useless delays everywhere. On the next few updates, slowly remove them and say you are "improving" the system.
I don't have an answer to that. Nobody has a good answer to that. It doesn't mean I condone targeting civilians, no matter who it is. They both have the right to exist and live in peace.
Much as I'd have enjoyed seeing it, it would have greatly hindered adoption when the general public started finding out about furries in the early 2000s and would have made Linux look like a toy not for serious use.