In this talk, I focus on the computer networking efforts of Arthur "Artie" Kohn, who ran a bulletin board system out of his apartment in Queens from 1984 until his death from AIDS-related conditions in 1991. His board, The BACKROOM, was dedicated to the information access needs of LGBTQ+ people at the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 1987, he established GayCom, a network of gay-related BBSs that could communicate directly with one another. Here, I examine GayCom as a foundational LGBTQ+ digital network, and discuss Kohn's ethos for establishing it. Of particular focus is what Kohn dubbed "liveware," the animating collective of people and places behind the scenes who kept the boards running. As important as hardware or software, liveware ensured that these vital networks were never solely relegated to the digital, but rooted in community care and urgent action. Drawing from the GayCom network as a key example of liveware, I encourage a renewed emphasis on transparent, independent, and personal digital networks, demonstrating ways to incorporate a liveware ethos into contemporary life with computers.