Bulletin Board Systems
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
<b>Bulletin Board Systems</b>, or <b>BBSs</b>, were the first of man's inventions to afforded the
general public the opportunity to lose hours of time staring at a computer monitor in an 'online'
experience. Before the <a href=http://www.h2g2.com/A139556>internet</a> was anything more than
a plaything for Pentagon war bosses, <B>BBS</b> members would dial in to their local system directly
via modem to chat on message boards, trade files, and play text-based door games. <B>BBSs</B>
were maintained, usually free of charge, by systems operators or sysops and were, in the beginning at
least, free-standing operations. Many sysops simply ran their boards from their personal computers at
night, using the only phone line in the house. Others dedicated equipment and phone lines solely for the
operation of the <b>BBS</B>. Some offered dozens of users the chance to connect simultaneously.
But that is getting a little ahead of the story.
<p>
The early 1980's saw the <b>BBS</b> come on to the scene, with computer enthusiasts coaxing their
300 baud modems to retrieve the evening's messages from their local system. Low storage space and
slow transmission rates limited the capabilities of <b>BBSs</b>. They evolved through the decade,
with sysops realising that their while their callers were limited to the local phone charge area, the scope
of conversation need not be. A system of relays brought thoughts from around the world together as
<b>BBSs</b> transferred information to each other via <a
href=http://www.h2g2.com/A183557>FidoNet</a> and other services.
<p>
The development of games such as Tradewars and Legend of the Red Dragon drove the caller rates to
new highs. <b>BBSing</b> reached a climax in the first part of the 1990's. By this time features such
as real-time chat and networked sessions of Doom were offered. Then it happened. The biggest
<b>BBS</b> of them all hit the market. Charging outrageous access fees, and offering infinite numbers
of chat rooms, <a href=http://www.h2g2.com/A135217>America Online</a> took the wind out of
many sysops' sails. The vast majority of <b>BBSs</b> have since closed shop, though a few die-hards
remain. These last bastions of the original <b>BBS</b> community have evolved further to include
<a href=http://www.h2g2.com/A139565>WWW</a> and Telnet access.
<p>
New forms of <b>BBSs</b> continue to spring up all over the internet. Highly adapted forms include
<a href=http://www.slashdot.org>slahshdot.org</a> and even <a
href=http://www.h2g2.com>h2g2.com</a>.
general public the opportunity to lose hours of time staring at a computer monitor in an 'online'
experience. Before the <a href=http://www.h2g2.com/A139556>internet</a> was anything more than
a plaything for Pentagon war bosses, <B>BBS</b> members would dial in to their local system directly
via modem to chat on message boards, trade files, and play text-based door games. <B>BBSs</B>
were maintained, usually free of charge, by systems operators or sysops and were, in the beginning at
least, free-standing operations. Many sysops simply ran their boards from their personal computers at
night, using the only phone line in the house. Others dedicated equipment and phone lines solely for the
operation of the <b>BBS</B>. Some offered dozens of users the chance to connect simultaneously.
But that is getting a little ahead of the story.
<p>
The early 1980's saw the <b>BBS</b> come on to the scene, with computer enthusiasts coaxing their
300 baud modems to retrieve the evening's messages from their local system. Low storage space and
slow transmission rates limited the capabilities of <b>BBSs</b>. They evolved through the decade,
with sysops realising that their while their callers were limited to the local phone charge area, the scope
of conversation need not be. A system of relays brought thoughts from around the world together as
<b>BBSs</b> transferred information to each other via <a
href=http://www.h2g2.com/A183557>FidoNet</a> and other services.
<p>
The development of games such as Tradewars and Legend of the Red Dragon drove the caller rates to
new highs. <b>BBSing</b> reached a climax in the first part of the 1990's. By this time features such
as real-time chat and networked sessions of Doom were offered. Then it happened. The biggest
<b>BBS</b> of them all hit the market. Charging outrageous access fees, and offering infinite numbers
of chat rooms, <a href=http://www.h2g2.com/A135217>America Online</a> took the wind out of
many sysops' sails. The vast majority of <b>BBSs</b> have since closed shop, though a few die-hards
remain. These last bastions of the original <b>BBS</b> community have evolved further to include
<a href=http://www.h2g2.com/A139565>WWW</a> and Telnet access.
<p>
New forms of <b>BBSs</b> continue to spring up all over the internet. Highly adapted forms include
<a href=http://www.slashdot.org>slahshdot.org</a> and even <a
href=http://www.h2g2.com>h2g2.com</a>.
