Date First Published: 26th April 2022
Topic: Computer Networking
Subtopic: Network Services
Difficulty Level: 7/10
Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions
Difficulty: MediumLearn more about what a bulletin-board system is in this article.
Often abbreviated to a BBS, a bulletin board system is a server that a user can establish a connection to by using a terminal program. Bulletin-board systems are text-based and use a command-line interface to allow users to log in, upload and download files, exchange messages with other users through public message boards and chatrooms, and read news and bulletins.
Chatrooms provided by bulletin-board systems were never designed to be real-time. Users log in and can see what they posted since they were last there and can reply however they want.
Bulletin board systems do not behave like most computer programs with windows, icons, and menus. Instead, it uses a command-line interface (CLI) which relies on users typing commands to request information. However, recent web-based versions have a graphical user interface and a web-based bulletin-board system is a website that is powered by bulletin-board system software rather than a web server.
Bulletin-board systems are a predecessor of the World Wide Web and are accessible from Telnet or a dial-up modem. Most of the functions of bulletin-board systems, such as discussing certain topics and sharing files are provided by the World Wide Web and social media, but they still exist. Most bulletin-board systems are free, but may require a paid subscription for additional features.
When users post articles, they upload binary files to a newsgroup. The binary data then gets converted into multiple text files and a user searches for and downloads articles or files using a newsreader.
The first bulletin-board system was created in 1978 by Ward Christensen and Randy Suess. It was called the Computerised Bulletin Board System. It officially went online on 16th February 1978.
Ward Christensen and Randy Suess published an article in the Byte magazine, giving a description of Computerised Bulletin Board System and describing the technologies used to develop it, leading to the creation of thousands of bulletin-board systems all around the world.
Community Memory was a predecessor to the public bulletin-board system in August 1973 in California. At that time period, microcomputers did not exist and modems were very expensive and slow. Due to this fact, Community Memory relied on a mainframe computer and it was accessed through terminals located in San Francisco Bay Area neighbourhoods.
Community Memory enabled a user to type a message into a computer terminal by inserting a coin and offering a bulletin-board system with public messages only, meaning no email or other features. In addition, it had the capability to tag messages with keywords. The operating costs of the system were very expensive and when their host system became unavailable and it was impossible for a new one to be found, the system officially came to an end in January 1975.
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