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Bulletin Board Systems: The Origins of the Internet
Back in the 1980’s there wasn’t a way to connect to one another via a computer.
Talking about your interests required meeting up in person. In 1979, 2 engineers came up with an idea to connect locals with the same interests.
The idea? BBS (bulletin board systems).
BBS were the first online communities and a precursor to IRC. Since dial-up modems are slow. Most things were text. BBS was no different.
Why did BBSes start?
BBS was created by Randy Suess and Ward Christensen.
Originally called CBBS (computerized bulletin board system). The idea was taken from the bulletin board used at the local library. BBS was meant to share newsletters between a local Chicago computer group. The prototype took 2 weeks to build.
How did BBS work?
In the beginning everyone was local. Since they used a phone line and a modem, calling long distance would be expensive. Before mobile phones made long distance free, the phone company charged for calling outside of your area code. The charge was based on the time of the call and the distance. Business hours and longer distances were more expensive.
