The Zets

The Zets was social organization founded by students at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 30, 1986. The organization is believed to be one of the first communities to use network-based computer applications (such as electronic mail and instant messaging) as their primary means of communication, although real-life activities, such as frat-style parties and a weekly "Pizza Night" frequently recurred during the group's heyday. Although never formally disbanded, the active status of The Zets is difficult to ascertain.

History
In late 1985, a group of students in the Computer Science Department of the University of Pittsburgh began to exchange electronic mail messages on the department's ULTRIX system about random, unrelated subjects as a social activity. On January 30, 1986, freshman Dean Falcione (under the alias "Nemo Trax") proclaimed to establish the group, which numbered approximately fifteen users, as "Zeta Zeta Clutterboard", the first on-line fraternity.

The group soon established a charter ("Constitution") and shortened its name to "Zeta Zeta C," believing that Gamma in the Greek alphabet represented only the letter G. Within a year, the name was changed twice more, first to "Zeta Zeta Chi" and then finally to "The Zets", which had always been the most commonly used name among the membership. Although some founders always pronounced "Zets" as rhyming with "hates," it was far more common to pronounce it like "pets."

The direction and seriousness of The Zets was initially a subject of debate among the membership; however, by late 1987 it became apparent that the group would remain a loosely-knit group of friends engaged in both on-line and real world social activities. The distinction between fraternity "brothers" and "little sisters" was eliminated, making anyone age seventeen or older eligible for equal membership status, simply by submitting his or her contact information for inclusion in the "Zets Index," the official membership roster. The minimum age requirement was due to the fact that the youngest member of the group was seventeen years old at the time.

The initial declaration provided an "office" for nearly every member of the original mailing list, and early charters defined a top-heavy bureaucracy of both offices and committees. The final Zets Constitution, drafted in 1987 and signed by all members who agreed with it, defined only two offices of limited capacity: a President, responsible for hosting a yearly "Founders' Day Banquet," and a Vice (Just Vice), responsible for maintaining the "Zets Index" (roster) and making it available to the membership.

The Zets continued their on-line discussion lists for more than a decade and continued to hold informal gatherings, such as a weekly "Pizza Night," long after the membership had graduated and left the university. The longevity of the group can be partially credited to the affiliation many members maintained with the university system, as graduate students and/or full-time employees. New members continued to join the group during this period, although the regular election of officers and the yearly banquet often failed to occur.

The Zets Today
Although The Zets website is often unreachable and official activities no longer take place, many members continue to communicate and socialize on a regular basis. Although never recognized by the University of Pittsburgh as an official club or users' group, many members serve (or have served) in official capacities after graduation.

In 2007 a group for The Zets was started on LinkedIn.

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