<s>
CBBS	B-Protocol
(	O
"	O
Computerized	B-Protocol
Bulletin	I-Protocol
Board	I-Protocol
System	I-Protocol
"	O
)	O
was	O
a	O
computer	B-Application
program	I-Application
created	O
by	O
Ward	O
Christensen	O
and	O
Randy	O
Suess	O
to	O
allow	O
them	O
and	O
other	O
computer	O
hobbyists	O
to	O
exchange	O
information	O
between	O
each	O
other	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Christensen	O
had	O
created	O
a	O
file	O
transfer	O
protocol	O
for	O
sending	O
binary	O
computer	B-Operating_System
files	I-Operating_System
through	O
modem	B-Application
connections	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
called	O
,	O
simply	O
,	O
MODEM	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
improvements	O
to	O
the	O
program	O
motivated	O
a	O
name	O
change	O
into	O
the	O
now	O
familiar	O
XMODEM	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
CACHE	O
members	O
frequently	O
shared	O
programs	O
and	O
had	O
long	O
been	O
discussing	O
some	O
form	O
of	O
file	O
transfer	O
using	O
modems	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Christensen	O
was	O
naturally	O
at	O
the	O
center	O
of	O
these	O
discussions	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
Suess	O
in	O
particular	O
was	O
skeptical	O
of	O
accomplishing	O
such	O
a	O
project	O
by	O
a	O
volunteer	O
committee	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Christensen	O
and	O
Suess	O
became	O
enamored	O
of	O
the	O
extended	O
idea	O
of	O
creating	O
a	O
computerized	O
answering	O
machine	O
and	O
message	O
center	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
allow	O
members	O
to	O
call	O
in	O
with	O
their	O
then-new	O
modems	B-Application
and	O
leave	O
announcements	O
for	O
upcoming	O
meetings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Christensen	O
worked	O
on	O
the	O
software	O
and	O
Suess	O
cobbled	O
together	O
an	O
S-100	B-Architecture
computer	I-Architecture
to	O
put	O
the	O
program	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
the	O
Internet	O
was	O
still	O
small	O
and	O
not	O
available	O
to	O
most	O
computer	O
users	O
,	O
users	O
had	O
to	O
dial	O
CBBS	B-Protocol
directly	O
using	O
a	O
modem	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
because	O
the	O
CBBS	B-Protocol
hardware	O
and	O
software	O
supported	O
only	O
a	O
single	O
modem	B-Application
for	O
most	O
of	O
its	O
existence	O
,	O
users	O
had	O
to	O
take	O
turns	O
accessing	O
the	O
system	O
,	O
each	O
hanging	O
up	O
when	O
done	O
to	O
let	O
someone	O
else	O
have	O
access	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
these	O
limitations	O
,	O
the	O
system	O
was	O
seen	O
as	O
very	O
useful	O
,	O
and	O
ran	O
for	O
many	O
years	O
and	O
inspired	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
many	O
other	O
bulletin	B-Application
board	I-Application
systems	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Christensen	O
and	O
Suess	O
went	O
their	O
separate	O
ways	O
,	O
the	O
CBBS	B-Protocol
name	O
lived	O
on	O
,	O
and	O
survives	O
to	O
an	O
extent	O
as	O
a	O
web-based	O
forum	O
on	O
Suess	O
 '	O
website	O
,	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Christensen	O
's	O
version	O
of	O
CBBS	B-Protocol
,	O
called	O
"	O
Ward	O
's	O
Board	O
"	O
,	O
closed	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
1990s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
article	O
with	O
a	O
photo	O
of	O
Ward	O
and	O
the	O
CBBS	B-Protocol
hardware	O
appeared	O
shortly	O
thereafter	O
in	O
the	O
Chicago	O
Tribune	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
is	O
still	O
at	O
least	O
one	O
active	O
CBBS	B-Protocol
system	O
as	O
of	O
August	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
