“We were here before the Web and hype…”: a brief history of and tribute to the Computational Chemistry List

Abstract

The Computational Chemistry List is a mailing list, portal, and community which brings together people interested in computational chemistry, mostly practitioners. It was formed in 1991 and continues to exist as a vibrant discussion space, highly valued by its members, and serving both its original and new functions. Its duration has been unusual for online communities. We analyze some of its characteristics, the reasons for its duration, value, and resilience, the ways it embodies and preceded the affordances of online communities recognized elsewhere long after its foundations, and project some aspects into the future. We also highlight its value as a corpus for historians of science.