I've run an environment in DOSBOX for reading BBS messages with a QWK reader, a handful of DOS utilities, my trusty copy of Qedit, and Xtree. Editing like it's 1989, all over again. With mTCP, I have a handful of TCP utilities that work in DOS. Using DOSBOX's serial port redirection, a DOS COM port can look like a TCP port. Set COM1 to port 23, open a terminal program like Telix, enter ATDT and you're connected via telnet. I've thought about setting up an IRC client, Lynx for DOS, a terminal client, a DOS word processor, an old copy of Lotus 1-2-3 I have laying around and see how long I could survive.