Browse Definitions :
Definition

bulletin board system (BBS)

A bulletin board system (BBS) is a computer or an application dedicated to the sharing or exchange of messages or other files on a network. Originally an electronic version of the type of bulletin board found on the wall in many kitchens and work places, the BBS was used to post simple messages between users. The BBS became the primary kind of online community through the 1980s and early 1990s, before the World Wide Web arrived.

A BBS may be accessible from a dial-up modem, Telnet, or the Internet. Because it originated before the graphical user interface (GUI) became prevalent, the BBS interface was text-based. Although recent Web-based versions have a graphical, interactive user interface, the text-only interface preferred by BBS purists can often be accessed by Telnet. According to Justin Scott, co-founder of Sceiron Interactive and a former sysop, a Web-based BBS is essentially a Web site that is powered by BBS software rather than a Web server.

Most BBSes are devoted to a particular subject, although some are more general in nature. Among special interests represented on BBSes are dentistry, law, guns, multi-player games, Druidic practices, and information for the disabled. A significant number of BBS sites offer "adult-oriented" chat and images that can be downloaded. The BBS is often free, although some charge a membership or use fee. Many BBSes have Web sites, and many Internet access providers have bulletin board systems from which new Internet users can download the necessary software to get connected. The BBS has its own culture and jargon. For example, a sysop is the person who runs the site. Online chat became widely popular through the BBS and many chat acronyms originated there.

The first BBS, called the Computerized Bulletin Board System (CBBS), was created in 1978 by Ward Christensen and Randy Suess. Although ARPANET was in operation at that time, it was restricted to institutions funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. When CBBS went online, it became the first non-military computer-based community, other than timesharing systems (which allotted portions of mainframe processing time to a group of computers). An article by Christensen and Suess published in Byte magazine described CBBS and outlined the technology they had used to develop it, sparking the creation of many tens of thousands of BBSes all over the world.

Despite the vastly greater reach of the Internet, the BBS is still fairly common in parts of the world where the Internet is less established and is still valued by many with Internet access for its ability to foster a sense of community.

This was last updated in September 2005

Continue Reading About bulletin board system (BBS)

Networking
  • User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

    User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a communications protocol primarily used to establish low-latency and loss-tolerating connections...

  • Telnet

    Telnet is a network protocol used to virtually access a computer and provide a two-way, collaborative and text-based ...

  • big-endian and little-endian

    The term endianness describes the order in which computer memory stores a sequence of bytes.

Security
  • advanced persistent threat (APT)

    An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a prolonged and targeted cyber attack in which an intruder gains access to a network and ...

  • Mitre ATT&CK framework

    The Mitre ATT&CK (pronounced miter attack) framework is a free, globally accessible knowledge base that describes the latest ...

  • timing attack

    A timing attack is a type of side-channel attack that exploits the amount of time a computer process runs to gain knowledge about...

CIO
HRSoftware
  • employee resource group (ERG)

    An employee resource group is a workplace club or more formally realized affinity group organized around a shared interest or ...

  • employee training and development

    Employee training and development is a set of activities and programs designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of ...

  • employee sentiment analysis

    Employee sentiment analysis is the use of natural language processing and other AI techniques to automatically analyze employee ...

Customer Experience
  • customer profiling

    Customer profiling is the detailed and systematic process of constructing a clear portrait of a company's ideal customer by ...

  • customer insight (consumer insight)

    Customer insight, also known as consumer insight, is the understanding and interpretation of customer data, behaviors and ...

  • buyer persona

    A buyer persona is a composite representation of a specific type of customer in a market segment.

Close