<s>
A	O
bulletin	O
board	O
system	O
(	O
BBS	O
)	O
,	O
also	O
called	O
computer	B-Application
bulletin	I-Application
board	I-Application
service	O
(	O
CBBS	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
computer	B-Application
server	I-Application
running	O
software	B-Protocol
that	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
connect	O
to	O
the	O
system	O
using	O
a	O
terminal	B-Application
program	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
logged	O
in	O
,	O
the	O
user	O
can	O
perform	O
functions	O
such	O
as	O
uploading	B-Application
and	O
downloading	B-Application
software	B-Protocol
and	O
data	O
,	O
reading	O
news	O
and	O
bulletins	O
,	O
and	O
exchanging	O
messages	O
with	O
other	O
users	O
through	O
public	O
message	B-Application
boards	I-Application
and	O
sometimes	O
via	O
direct	O
chatting	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
early	O
1980s	O
,	O
message	O
networks	B-Architecture
such	O
as	O
FidoNet	O
were	O
developed	O
to	O
provide	O
services	O
such	O
as	O
NetMail	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
internet-based	O
email	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
BBSes	O
also	O
offer	O
online	B-Application
games	I-Application
in	O
which	O
users	O
can	O
compete	O
with	O
each	O
other	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bulletin	O
board	O
systems	O
were	O
in	O
many	O
ways	O
a	O
precursor	O
to	O
the	O
modern	O
form	O
of	O
the	O
World	O
Wide	O
Web	O
,	O
social	O
networks	B-Architecture
,	O
and	O
other	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
Internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Low-cost	O
,	O
high-performance	O
asynchronous	O
modems	B-Application
drove	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
online	O
services	O
and	O
BBSes	O
through	O
the	O
early	O
1990s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
introduction	O
of	O
inexpensive	O
dial-up	O
internet	O
service	O
and	O
the	O
Mosaic	B-Application
web	I-Application
browser	I-Application
offered	O
ease	O
of	O
use	O
and	O
global	O
access	O
that	O
BBS	O
and	O
online	O
systems	O
did	O
not	O
provide	O
,	O
and	O
led	O
to	O
a	O
rapid	O
crash	O
in	O
the	O
market	O
starting	O
in	O
late	O
1994-early	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Over	O
the	O
next	O
year	O
,	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
leading	B-Protocol
BBS	I-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
providers	I-Protocol
went	O
bankrupt	O
and	O
tens	O
of	O
thousands	O
of	O
BBSes	O
disappeared	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
surviving	O
BBSes	O
are	O
accessible	O
over	O
Telnet	B-Protocol
and	O
typically	O
offer	O
free	O
email	O
accounts	O
,	O
FTP	B-Protocol
services	O
,	O
IRC	B-Protocol
and	O
all	O
the	O
protocols	O
commonly	O
used	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
offer	O
access	O
through	O
packet	O
switched	O
networks	B-Architecture
or	O
packet	B-Application
radio	I-Application
connections	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Useful	O
microcomputers	B-Architecture
did	O
not	O
exist	O
at	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
and	O
modems	B-Application
were	O
both	O
expensive	O
and	O
slow	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Community	O
Memory	O
therefore	O
ran	O
on	O
a	O
mainframe	B-Architecture
computer	I-Architecture
and	O
was	O
accessed	O
through	O
terminals	O
located	O
in	O
several	O
San	O
Francisco	O
Bay	O
Area	O
neighborhoods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
poor	O
quality	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
modem	B-Application
connecting	O
the	O
terminals	O
to	O
the	O
mainframe	B-Architecture
prompted	O
Community	O
Memory	O
hardware	O
person	O
,	O
Lee	O
Felsenstein	O
,	O
to	O
invent	O
the	O
Pennywhistle	B-Device
modem	I-Device
,	O
whose	O
design	O
was	O
highly	O
influential	O
in	O
the	O
mid-1970s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Community	O
Memory	O
allowed	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
type	O
messages	O
into	O
a	O
computer	B-General_Concept
terminal	I-General_Concept
after	O
inserting	O
a	O
coin	O
,	O
and	O
offered	O
a	O
"	O
pure	O
"	O
bulletin	O
board	O
experience	O
with	O
public	O
messages	O
only	O
(	O
no	O
email	O
or	O
other	O
features	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
functionality	O
was	O
available	O
to	O
most	O
mainframe	B-Architecture
users	O
,	O
which	O
might	O
be	O
considered	O
a	O
sort	O
of	O
ultra-local	O
BBS	O
when	O
used	O
in	O
this	O
fashion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
particularly	O
influential	O
example	O
was	O
PLATO	B-Operating_System
,	O
which	O
had	O
thousands	O
of	O
users	O
by	O
the	O
late	O
1970s	O
,	O
many	O
of	O
whom	O
used	O
the	O
messaging	O
and	O
chat	O
room	O
features	O
of	O
the	O
system	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
way	O
that	O
would	O
later	O
become	O
common	O
on	O
BBSes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
modems	B-Application
were	O
generally	O
either	O
expensive	O
or	O
very	O
simple	O
devices	O
using	O
acoustic	B-Device
couplers	I-Device
to	O
handle	O
telephone	O
operation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
user	O
would	O
pick	O
up	O
the	O
phone	O
,	O
dial	O
a	O
number	O
,	O
then	O
press	O
the	O
handset	O
into	O
rubber	O
cups	O
on	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
of	O
direct-connecting	O
modems	B-Application
did	O
exist	O
,	O
and	O
these	O
often	O
allowed	O
the	O
host	O
computer	O
to	O
send	O
it	O
commands	O
to	O
answer	O
or	O
hang	O
up	O
calls	O
,	O
but	O
these	O
were	O
very	O
expensive	O
devices	O
used	O
by	O
large	O
banks	O
and	O
similar	O
companies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
microcomputers	B-Architecture
with	O
expansion	O
slots	O
,	O
like	O
the	O
S-100	B-Architecture
bus	I-Architecture
machines	O
and	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
,	O
it	O
became	O
possible	O
for	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
to	O
communicate	O
instructions	O
and	O
data	O
on	O
separate	O
lines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
machines	O
typically	O
only	O
supported	O
asynchronous	O
communications	O
,	O
and	O
synchronous	B-Protocol
modems	B-Application
were	O
much	O
more	O
expensive	O
than	O
asynchronous	O
modems	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
number	O
of	O
modems	B-Application
of	O
this	O
sort	O
were	O
available	O
by	O
the	O
late	O
1970s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
made	O
the	O
BBS	O
possible	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
allowed	O
software	B-Protocol
on	O
the	O
computer	O
to	O
pick	O
up	O
an	O
incoming	O
call	O
,	O
communicate	O
with	O
the	O
user	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
hang	O
up	O
the	O
call	O
when	O
the	O
user	O
logged	O
off	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
an	O
early	O
interview	O
,	O
when	O
Chicago	O
was	O
snowed	O
under	O
during	O
the	O
Great	O
Blizzard	O
of	O
1978	O
,	O
the	O
two	O
began	O
preliminary	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
Computerized	B-Protocol
Bulletin	I-Protocol
Board	I-Protocol
System	I-Protocol
,	O
or	O
CBBS	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
system	O
came	O
into	O
existence	O
largely	O
through	O
a	O
fortuitous	O
combination	O
of	O
Christensen	O
having	O
a	O
spare	O
S-100	B-Architecture
bus	I-Architecture
computer	O
and	O
an	O
early	O
Hayes	O
internal	O
modem	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Suess	O
's	O
insistence	O
that	O
the	O
machine	O
be	O
placed	O
at	O
his	O
house	O
in	O
Chicago	O
where	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
local	O
phone	O
call	O
for	O
more	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CBBS	B-Protocol
officially	O
went	O
online	O
on	O
16	O
February	O
1978	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CBBS	B-Protocol
,	O
which	O
kept	O
a	O
count	O
of	O
callers	O
,	O
reportedly	O
connected	O
253,301	O
callers	O
before	O
it	O
was	O
finally	O
retired	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
key	O
innovation	O
required	O
for	O
the	O
popularization	O
of	O
the	O
BBS	O
was	O
the	O
Smartmodem	O
manufactured	O
by	O
Hayes	O
Microcomputer	B-Architecture
Products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Internal	O
modems	B-Application
like	O
the	O
ones	O
used	O
by	O
CBBS	B-Protocol
and	O
similar	O
early	O
systems	O
were	O
usable	O
,	O
but	O
generally	O
expensive	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
manufacturer	O
having	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
different	O
modem	B-Application
for	O
every	O
computer	O
platform	O
they	O
wanted	O
to	O
target	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
also	O
limited	O
to	O
those	O
computers	O
with	O
internal	O
expansion	O
,	O
and	O
could	O
not	O
be	O
used	O
with	O
other	O
useful	O
platforms	O
like	O
video	B-General_Concept
terminals	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
External	B-Application
modems	I-Application
were	O
available	O
for	O
these	O
platforms	O
but	O
required	O
the	O
phone	O
to	O
be	O
dialed	O
using	O
a	O
conventional	O
handset	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Internal	O
modems	B-Application
could	O
be	O
software-controlled	O
to	O
perform	O
both	O
outbound	O
and	O
inbound	O
calls	O
,	O
but	O
external	B-Application
modems	I-Application
had	O
only	O
the	O
data	O
pins	O
to	O
communicate	O
with	O
the	O
host	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hayes	O
 '	O
solution	O
to	O
the	O
problem	O
was	O
to	O
use	O
a	O
small	O
microcontroller	B-Architecture
to	O
implement	O
a	O
system	O
that	O
examined	O
the	O
data	O
flowing	O
into	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
from	O
the	O
host	O
computer	O
,	O
watching	O
for	O
certain	O
command	O
strings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
allowed	O
commands	O
to	O
be	O
sent	O
to	O
and	O
from	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
using	O
the	O
same	O
data	O
pins	O
as	O
all	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
data	O
,	O
meaning	O
it	O
would	O
work	O
on	O
any	O
system	O
that	O
could	O
support	O
even	O
the	O
most	O
basic	O
modems	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
improved	O
usability	O
for	O
the	O
caller	O
,	O
as	O
most	O
terminal	B-Application
software	I-Application
allowed	O
different	O
phone	O
numbers	O
to	O
be	O
stored	O
and	O
dialed	O
on	O
command	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
easily	O
connect	O
to	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Speed	O
improved	O
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
1200	O
bit/s	O
asynchronous	O
modems	B-Application
in	O
the	O
early	O
1980s	O
,	O
giving	O
way	O
to	O
2400	O
bit/s	O
fairly	O
rapidly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
of	O
the	O
information	O
was	O
displayed	O
using	O
ordinary	O
ASCII	B-Protocol
text	I-Protocol
or	O
ANSI	B-Protocol
art	I-Protocol
,	O
but	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
systems	O
attempted	O
character-based	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interfaces	I-Application
which	O
began	O
to	O
be	O
practical	O
at	O
2400	O
bit/s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
period	O
also	O
saw	O
the	O
rapid	O
rise	O
in	O
capacity	O
and	O
a	O
dramatic	O
drop	O
in	O
the	O
price	O
of	O
hard	B-Device
drives	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
users	O
would	O
use	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
for	O
some	O
time	O
,	O
leaving	O
less	O
time	O
for	O
other	O
users	O
,	O
who	O
got	O
busy	O
signals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
also	O
gave	O
rise	O
to	O
a	O
new	O
class	O
of	O
BBS	O
systems	O
,	O
dedicated	O
solely	O
to	O
file	B-Application
upload	I-Application
and	O
downloads	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
third-party	O
services	O
were	O
developed	O
to	O
support	O
these	O
systems	O
,	O
offering	O
simple	O
credit	O
card	O
merchant	O
account	O
gateways	B-Application
for	O
the	O
payment	O
of	O
monthly	O
fees	O
,	O
and	O
entire	O
file	O
libraries	O
on	O
compact	O
disk	O
that	O
made	O
initial	O
setup	O
very	O
easy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
early	O
1990s	O
,	O
there	O
were	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
mid-sized	O
software	B-Protocol
companies	O
dedicated	O
to	O
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
BBSes	O
in	O
service	O
reached	O
its	O
peak	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Towards	O
the	O
early	O
1990s	O
,	O
BBS	O
became	O
so	O
popular	O
that	O
it	O
spawned	O
three	O
monthly	O
magazines	O
,	O
Boardwatch	O
,	O
BBS	O
Magazine	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
Asia	O
and	O
Australia	O
,	O
Chips	O
'	O
n	O
Bits	O
Magazine	O
which	O
devoted	O
extensive	O
coverage	O
of	O
the	O
software	B-Protocol
and	O
technology	O
innovations	O
and	O
people	O
behind	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
listings	O
to	O
US	O
and	O
worldwide	O
BBSes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
the	O
late	O
1980s	O
and	O
early	O
1990s	O
,	O
there	O
was	O
considerable	O
experimentation	O
with	O
ways	O
to	O
improve	O
the	O
BBS	O
experience	O
from	O
its	O
command-line	B-Application
interface	I-Application
roots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Almost	O
every	O
popular	O
system	O
improved	O
matters	O
somewhat	O
by	O
adding	O
ANSI-based	O
color	O
menus	O
to	O
make	O
reading	O
easier	O
,	O
and	O
most	O
also	O
allowed	O
cursor	O
commands	O
to	O
offer	O
command-line	B-Application
recall	O
and	O
similar	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
number	O
of	O
systems	O
also	O
made	O
forays	O
into	O
GUI-based	O
interfaces	O
,	O
either	O
using	O
character	O
graphics	O
sent	O
from	O
the	O
host	O
,	O
or	O
using	O
custom	O
GUI-based	O
terminal	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
latter	O
initially	O
appeared	O
,	O
unsurprisingly	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
Macintosh	B-Device
platform	O
,	O
where	O
TeleFinder	B-Protocol
and	O
FirstClass	B-Protocol
became	O
very	O
popular	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FirstClass	B-Protocol
offered	O
a	O
host	O
of	O
features	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
difficult	O
or	O
impossible	O
under	O
a	O
terminal-based	O
solution	O
,	O
including	O
bi-directional	O
information	O
flow	O
and	O
non-blocking	O
operation	O
that	O
allowed	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
exchange	O
files	O
in	O
both	O
directions	O
while	O
continuing	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
message	O
system	O
and	O
chat	O
,	O
all	O
in	O
separate	O
windows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Will	O
Price	O
's	O
"	O
Hermes	O
"	O
,	O
released	O
in	O
1988	O
,	O
combined	O
a	O
familiar	O
PC	O
style	O
with	O
Macintosh	B-Device
GUI	B-Application
interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Skypix	B-Device
featured	O
on	O
Amiga	B-Device
a	O
complete	O
markup	O
language	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
PC	O
,	O
efforts	O
were	O
more	O
oriented	O
to	O
extensions	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
terminal	O
concept	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
GUI	B-Application
being	O
described	O
in	O
the	O
information	O
on	O
the	O
host	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Probably	O
the	O
ultimate	O
development	O
of	O
this	O
style	O
of	O
operation	O
was	O
the	O
dynamic	O
page	O
implementation	O
of	O
the	O
University	O
of	O
Southern	O
California	O
BBS	O
(	O
USCBBS	O
)	O
by	O
Susan	O
Biddlecomb	O
,	O
which	O
predated	O
the	O
implementation	O
of	O
the	O
HTML	B-Language
Dynamic	O
web	O
page	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
complete	O
Dynamic	O
web	O
page	O
implementation	O
was	O
accomplished	O
using	O
TBBS	B-Protocol
with	O
a	O
TDBS	O
add-on	O
presenting	O
a	O
complete	O
menu	O
system	O
individually	O
customized	O
for	O
each	O
user	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
demand	O
for	O
complex	O
ANSI	O
and	O
ASCII	B-Protocol
screens	O
and	O
larger	O
file	O
transfers	O
taxed	O
available	O
channel	O
capacity	O
,	O
which	O
in	O
turn	O
increased	O
demand	O
for	O
faster	O
modems	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
14.4	O
kbit/s	O
modems	B-Application
were	O
standard	O
for	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
years	O
while	O
various	O
companies	O
attempted	O
to	O
introduce	O
non-standard	O
systems	O
with	O
higher	O
performancenormally	O
about	O
19.2	O
kbit/s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
modems	B-Application
were	O
slow	O
,	O
considerable	O
effort	O
was	O
put	O
into	O
developing	O
the	O
most	O
efficient	O
protocols	O
and	O
display	O
systems	O
possible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Running	O
a	O
general-purpose	O
protocol	O
like	O
TCP/IP	B-Protocol
over	O
a	O
1200	O
bit/s	O
modem	B-Application
was	O
a	O
painful	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
56	O
kbit/s	O
modems	B-Application
,	O
however	O
,	O
the	O
overhead	O
was	O
so	O
greatly	O
reduced	O
as	O
to	O
be	O
unnoticeable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dial-up	O
Internet	O
service	O
became	O
widely	O
available	O
in	O
1994	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
must-have	O
option	O
for	O
any	O
general-use	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
by	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Moreover	O
,	O
Internet	B-Protocol
protocols	I-Protocol
allowed	O
that	O
same	O
single	O
connection	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
contact	O
multiple	O
services	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
;	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
downloading	B-Application
files	O
from	O
an	O
FTP	B-Protocol
library	O
while	O
checking	O
the	O
weather	O
on	O
a	O
local	O
news	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
2000s	O
,	O
most	O
traditional	O
BBS	O
systems	O
migrated	O
to	O
the	O
Internet	O
using	O
Telnet	B-Protocol
or	O
SSH	O
protocols	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
September	O
2022	O
,	O
between	O
900	O
and	O
1000	O
are	O
thought	O
to	O
be	O
active	O
via	O
the	O
Internet	O
fewer	O
than	O
30	O
of	O
these	O
being	O
of	O
the	O
traditional	O
"	O
dial-up	O
"	O
(	O
modem	B-Application
)	O
variety	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
modern	O
websites	O
and	O
online	O
services	O
that	O
are	O
typically	O
hosted	O
by	O
third-party	O
companies	O
in	O
commercial	O
data	B-Operating_System
centers	I-Operating_System
,	O
BBS	O
computers	O
(	O
especially	O
for	O
smaller	O
boards	O
)	O
were	O
typically	O
operated	O
from	O
the	O
system	O
operator	O
's	O
home	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
larger	O
BBSes	O
with	O
multiple	O
phone	O
lines	O
using	O
specialized	O
hardware	O
,	O
multitasking	B-Operating_System
software	B-Protocol
,	O
or	O
a	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
connecting	O
multiple	O
computers	O
,	O
could	O
host	O
multiple	O
simultaneous	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
BBSes	O
used	O
homebrew	O
software	B-Protocol
,	O
quite	O
often	O
written	O
or	O
customized	O
by	O
the	O
system	O
operators	O
themselves	O
,	O
running	O
on	O
early	O
S-100	B-Architecture
bus	I-Architecture
microcomputer	B-Architecture
systems	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Altair	B-Architecture
8800	I-Architecture
,	O
IMSAI	B-Device
8080	I-Device
and	O
Cromemco	O
under	O
the	O
CP/M	B-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soon	O
after	O
,	O
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
was	O
being	O
written	O
for	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
major	O
home	O
computer	O
systems	O
of	O
the	O
late	O
1970s	O
erathe	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
,	O
Atari	B-Device
8-bit	I-Device
family	I-Device
,	O
Commodore	O
and	O
TRS-80	B-Device
being	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
few	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
in	O
1981	O
,	O
IBM	O
introduced	O
the	O
first	O
DOS	B-Device
based	O
IBM	B-Device
PC	I-Device
,	O
and	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
overwhelming	O
popularity	O
of	O
PCs	O
and	O
their	O
clones	O
,	O
DOS	B-Device
soon	O
became	O
the	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
on	O
which	O
the	O
majority	O
of	O
BBS	O
programs	B-Application
were	O
run	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
RBBS-PC	B-Protocol
,	O
ported	O
over	O
from	O
the	O
CP/M	B-Application
world	O
,	O
and	O
Fido	O
BBS	O
,	O
developed	O
by	O
Tom	O
Jennings	O
(	O
who	O
later	O
founded	O
FidoNet	O
)	O
were	O
the	O
first	O
notable	O
DOS	B-Device
BBS	O
programs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
successful	O
commercial	O
BBS	O
programs	B-Application
were	O
developed	O
for	O
DOS	B-Device
,	O
such	O
as	O
PCBoard	B-Protocol
BBS	O
,	O
RemoteAccess	B-Protocol
BBS	O
,	O
Magpie	O
and	O
Wildcat	B-Protocol
!	I-Protocol
</s>
<s>
Some	O
popular	O
freeware	B-License
BBS	O
programs	B-Application
for	O
DOS	B-Device
included	O
Telegard	B-Protocol
BBS	O
and	O
Renegade	B-Protocol
BBS	I-Protocol
,	O
which	O
both	O
had	O
early	O
origins	O
from	O
leaked	O
WWIV	B-Operating_System
BBS	O
source	O
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
were	O
several	O
dozen	O
other	O
BBS	O
programs	B-Application
developed	O
over	O
the	O
DOS	B-Device
era	O
,	O
and	O
many	O
were	O
released	O
under	O
the	O
shareware	B-License
concept	O
,	O
while	O
some	O
were	O
released	O
as	O
freeware	B-License
including	O
iniquity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Popular	O
commercial	O
BBS	O
programs	B-Application
were	O
Blue	B-Protocol
Board	I-Protocol
,	O
Ivory	O
BBS	O
,	O
Color64	B-Protocol
and	O
CNet	B-Protocol
64	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
early	O
1990s	O
,	O
a	O
small	O
number	O
of	O
BBSes	O
were	O
also	O
running	O
on	O
the	O
Commodore	B-Device
Amiga	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Popular	O
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
for	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
were	O
ABBS	O
,	O
Amiexpress	B-Protocol
,	O
C-Net	O
,	O
StormforceBBS	O
,	O
Infinity	O
and	O
Tempest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
was	O
also	O
a	O
small	O
faction	O
of	O
devoted	O
Atari	O
BBSes	O
that	O
used	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
800	I-Device
,	O
then	O
the	O
800XL	B-Device
,	O
and	O
eventually	O
the	O
1040ST	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
earlier	O
machines	O
generally	O
lacked	O
hard	B-Device
drive	I-Device
capabilities	O
,	O
which	O
limited	O
them	O
primarily	O
to	O
messaging	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MS-DOS	O
continued	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
for	O
BBS	O
use	O
up	O
until	O
the	O
mid-1990s	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
years	O
,	O
most	O
multi-node	O
BBSes	O
were	O
running	O
under	O
a	O
DOS	B-Device
based	O
multitasker	O
such	O
as	O
DESQview	B-Operating_System
or	O
consisted	O
of	O
multiple	O
computers	O
connected	O
via	O
a	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
late	O
1980s	O
,	O
a	O
handful	O
of	O
BBS	O
developers	O
implemented	O
multitasking	B-Operating_System
communications	O
routines	O
inside	O
their	O
software	B-Protocol
,	O
allowing	O
multiple	O
phone	O
lines	O
and	O
users	O
to	O
connect	O
to	O
the	O
same	O
BBS	O
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
included	O
Galacticomm	B-Application
's	O
MajorBBS	B-Application
(	O
later	O
WorldGroup	B-Application
)	O
,	O
eSoft	O
The	B-Protocol
Bread	I-Protocol
Board	I-Protocol
System	I-Protocol
(	O
TBBS	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
and	O
Falken	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
popular	O
BBS	O
's	O
were	O
Maximus	B-Protocol
and	O
Opus	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
associated	O
applications	O
such	O
as	O
BinkleyTerm	O
being	O
based	O
on	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
Berkley	O
Breathed	O
cartoon	O
strip	O
of	O
Bloom	O
County	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
most	O
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
had	O
been	O
written	O
in	O
BASIC	O
or	O
Pascal	B-Application
(	O
with	O
some	O
low-level	O
routines	O
written	O
in	O
assembly	B-Language
language	I-Language
)	O
,	O
the	O
C	B-Language
language	I-Language
was	O
starting	O
to	O
gain	O
popularity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1995	O
,	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
DOS-based	O
BBSes	O
had	O
begun	O
switching	O
to	O
modern	O
multitasking	B-Operating_System
operating	I-Operating_System
systems	I-Operating_System
,	O
such	O
as	O
OS/2	B-Application
,	O
Windows	B-Application
95	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Linux	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
graphics-based	O
BBS	O
applications	O
was	O
Excalibur	B-Protocol
BBS	I-Protocol
with	O
low-bandwidth	O
applications	O
that	O
required	O
its	O
own	O
client	O
for	O
efficiency	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
TCP/IP	B-Protocol
networking	O
allowed	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
remaining	O
BBSes	O
to	O
evolve	O
and	O
include	O
Internet	O
hosting	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recent	O
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
,	O
such	O
as	O
Synchronet	B-Protocol
,	O
Mystic	B-Protocol
BBS	I-Protocol
,	O
EleBBS	O
,	O
DOC	O
,	O
Magpie	O
or	O
Wildcat	B-Protocol
!	I-Protocol
</s>
<s>
BBS	O
,	O
provide	O
access	O
using	O
the	O
Telnet	B-Protocol
protocol	O
rather	O
than	O
dialup	O
,	O
or	O
by	O
using	O
legacy	O
DOS-based	O
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
with	O
a	O
FOSSIL-to-Telnet	O
redirector	O
such	O
as	O
NetFoss	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
BBSes	O
were	O
generally	O
text-based	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
GUI-based	O
,	O
and	O
early	O
BBSes	O
conversed	O
using	O
the	O
simple	O
ASCII	B-Protocol
character	I-Protocol
set	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
some	O
home	O
computer	O
manufacturers	O
extended	O
the	O
ASCII	B-Protocol
character	I-Protocol
set	I-Protocol
to	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
advanced	O
color	O
and	O
graphics	O
capabilities	O
of	O
their	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
authors	O
included	O
these	O
extended	B-Protocol
character	I-Protocol
sets	O
in	O
their	O
software	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
terminal	B-Application
program	I-Application
authors	O
included	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
display	O
them	O
when	O
a	O
compatible	O
system	O
was	O
called	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
's	O
native	O
character	O
set	O
was	O
known	O
as	O
ATASCII	B-Protocol
,	O
while	O
most	O
Commodore	O
BBSes	O
supported	O
PETSCII	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
PETSCII	B-Protocol
was	O
also	O
supported	O
by	O
the	O
nationwide	O
online	O
service	O
Quantum	O
Link	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unless	O
a	O
caller	O
was	O
using	O
terminal	B-Application
emulation	I-Application
software	B-Protocol
written	O
for	O
,	O
and	O
running	O
on	O
,	O
the	O
same	O
type	O
of	O
system	O
as	O
the	O
BBS	O
,	O
the	O
session	O
would	O
simply	O
fall	O
back	O
to	O
simple	O
ASCII	B-Protocol
output	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
a	O
Commodore	O
64	O
user	O
calling	O
an	O
Atari	O
BBS	O
would	O
use	O
ASCII	B-Protocol
rather	O
than	O
the	O
native	O
character	O
set	O
of	O
either	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
time	O
progressed	O
,	O
most	O
terminal	B-Application
programs	I-Application
began	O
using	O
the	O
ASCII	B-Protocol
standard	O
,	O
but	O
could	O
use	O
their	O
native	O
character	O
set	O
if	O
it	O
was	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
COCONET	O
,	O
a	O
BBS	O
system	O
made	O
by	O
Coconut	O
Computing	O
,	O
Inc.	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1988	O
and	O
only	O
supported	O
a	O
GUI	B-Application
(	O
no	O
text	O
interface	O
was	O
initially	O
available	O
but	O
eventually	O
became	O
available	O
around	O
1990	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
worked	O
in	O
EGA/VGA	O
graphics	O
mode	O
,	O
which	O
made	O
it	O
stand	O
out	O
from	O
text-based	O
BBS	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
COCONET	O
's	O
bitmap	O
and	O
vector	O
graphics	O
and	O
support	O
for	O
multiple	O
type	O
fonts	O
were	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
PLATO	B-Operating_System
system	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
the	O
graphics	O
capabilities	O
were	O
based	O
on	O
what	O
was	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
Borland	B-Language
Graphics	I-Language
Interface	I-Language
library	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
teletext	O
technology	O
called	O
NAPLPS	B-Protocol
was	O
also	O
considered	O
,	O
and	O
although	O
it	O
became	O
the	O
underlying	O
graphics	O
technology	O
behind	O
the	O
Prodigy	O
service	O
,	O
it	O
never	O
gained	O
popularity	O
in	O
the	O
BBS	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
were	O
several	O
GUI-based	O
BBSes	O
on	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
Macintosh	I-Device
platform	O
,	O
including	O
TeleFinder	B-Protocol
and	O
FirstClass	B-Protocol
,	O
but	O
these	O
were	O
mostly	O
confined	O
to	O
the	O
Mac	B-Device
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
UK	O
,	O
the	O
BBC	B-Device
Micro	I-Device
based	O
OBBS	O
software	B-Protocol
,	O
available	O
from	O
Pace	O
for	O
use	O
with	O
their	O
modems	B-Application
,	O
optionally	O
allowed	O
for	O
color	O
and	O
graphics	O
using	O
the	O
Teletext	O
based	O
graphics	O
mode	O
available	O
on	O
that	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
systems	O
used	O
the	O
Viewdata	B-Application
protocols	O
made	O
popular	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
by	O
British	O
Telecom	O
's	O
Prestel	B-General_Concept
service	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
on-line	O
magazine	O
Micronet	O
800	O
whom	O
were	O
busy	O
giving	O
away	O
modems	B-Application
with	O
their	O
subscriptions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
popular	O
form	O
of	O
online	O
graphics	O
was	O
ANSI	B-Protocol
art	I-Protocol
,	O
which	O
combined	O
the	O
IBM	B-Protocol
Extended	I-Protocol
ASCII	I-Protocol
character	O
set	O
's	O
blocks	O
and	O
symbols	O
with	O
ANSI	O
escape	O
sequences	O
to	O
allow	O
changing	O
colors	O
on	O
demand	O
,	O
provide	O
cursor	O
control	O
and	O
screen	O
formatting	O
,	O
and	O
even	O
basic	O
musical	O
tones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
late	O
1980s	O
and	O
early	O
1990s	O
,	O
most	O
BBSes	O
used	O
ANSI	O
to	O
make	O
elaborate	O
welcome	O
screens	O
,	O
and	O
colorized	O
menus	O
,	O
and	O
thus	O
,	O
ANSI	O
support	O
was	O
a	O
sought-after	O
feature	O
in	O
terminal	O
client	O
programs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
of	O
ANSI	B-Protocol
art	I-Protocol
became	O
so	O
popular	O
that	O
it	O
spawned	O
an	O
entire	O
BBS	O
"	O
artscene	O
"	O
subculture	O
devoted	O
to	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amiga	B-Device
Skyline	O
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
was	O
the	O
first	O
in	O
1987	O
featuring	O
a	O
script	O
markup	O
language	O
communication	O
protocol	O
called	O
Skypix	B-Device
which	O
was	O
capable	O
of	O
giving	O
the	O
user	O
a	O
complete	O
graphical	B-Application
interface	I-Application
,	O
featuring	O
rich	O
graphics	O
,	O
changeable	O
fonts	O
,	O
mouse-controlled	O
actions	O
,	O
animations	O
and	O
sound	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Today	O
,	O
most	O
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
that	O
is	O
still	O
actively	O
supported	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Worldgroup	B-Application
,	O
Wildcat	B-Protocol
!	I-Protocol
</s>
<s>
BBS	O
and	O
Citadel/UX	B-Protocol
,	O
is	O
Web-enabled	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
traditional	O
text	O
interface	O
has	O
been	O
replaced	O
(	O
or	O
operates	O
concurrently	O
)	O
with	O
a	O
Web-based	O
user	O
interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
those	O
more	O
nostalgic	O
for	O
the	O
true	O
BBS	O
experience	O
,	O
one	O
can	O
use	O
NetSerial	O
(	O
Windows	O
)	O
or	O
DOSBox	B-Application
(	O
Windows/	O
*nix	O
)	O
to	O
redirect	O
DOS	B-Device
COM	O
port	O
software	B-Protocol
to	O
telnet	B-Protocol
,	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
connect	O
to	O
Telnet	B-Protocol
BBSes	O
using	O
1980s	O
and	O
1990s	O
era	O
modem	B-Application
terminal	B-Application
emulation	I-Application
software	B-Protocol
,	O
like	O
Telix	B-Protocol
,	O
Terminate	B-Protocol
,	O
Qmodem	B-Protocol
and	O
Procomm	B-Protocol
Plus	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Modern	O
32-bit	O
terminal	B-Application
emulators	I-Application
such	O
as	O
mTelnet	O
and	O
SyncTerm	B-Protocol
include	O
native	O
telnet	B-Protocol
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
most	O
early	O
BBSes	O
were	O
run	O
by	O
computer	O
hobbyists	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
typically	O
technical	O
in	O
topic	O
,	O
with	O
user	O
communities	O
revolving	O
around	O
hardware	O
and	O
software	B-Protocol
discussions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
system	O
operators	O
also	O
adopted	O
a	O
theme	B-Application
in	O
which	O
they	O
customized	O
their	O
entire	O
BBS	O
(	O
welcome	O
screens	O
,	O
prompts	O
,	O
menus	O
,	O
and	O
so	O
on	O
)	O
to	O
reflect	O
that	O
theme	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Common	O
themes	O
were	O
based	O
on	O
fantasy	B-Application
,	O
or	O
were	O
intended	O
to	O
give	O
the	O
user	O
the	O
illusion	O
of	O
being	O
somewhere	O
else	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
in	O
a	O
sanatorium	O
,	O
wizard	O
's	O
castle	O
,	O
or	O
on	O
a	O
pirate	O
ship	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
early	O
days	O
,	O
the	O
file	O
download	B-Application
library	O
consisted	O
of	O
files	O
that	O
the	O
system	O
operators	O
obtained	O
themselves	O
from	O
other	O
BBSes	O
and	O
friends	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
BBSes	O
inspected	O
every	O
file	O
uploaded	B-Application
to	O
their	O
public	O
file	O
download	B-Application
library	O
to	O
ensure	O
that	O
the	O
material	O
did	O
not	O
violate	O
copyright	O
law	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
time	O
went	O
on	O
,	O
shareware	B-License
CD-ROMs	B-Device
were	O
sold	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
thousands	O
of	O
files	O
on	O
each	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Small	O
BBSes	O
copied	O
each	O
file	O
individually	O
to	O
their	O
hard	B-Device
drive	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
systems	O
used	O
a	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
drive	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
files	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Advanced	O
BBSes	O
used	O
Multiple	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
disc	O
changer	O
units	O
that	O
switched	O
6	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
disks	O
on	O
demand	O
for	O
the	O
caller(s )	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Large	O
systems	O
used	O
all	O
26	O
DOS	B-Device
drive	O
letters	O
with	O
multi-disk	O
changers	O
housing	O
tens	O
of	O
thousands	O
of	O
copyright-free	O
shareware	B-License
or	O
freeware	B-License
files	O
available	O
to	O
all	O
callers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Access	O
to	O
these	O
systems	O
varied	O
from	O
single	O
to	O
multiple	O
modem	B-Application
lines	O
with	O
some	O
requiring	O
little	O
or	O
no	O
confirmed	O
registration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
BBSes	O
,	O
called	O
elite	O
,	O
WaReZ	B-Application
or	O
pirate	O
boards	O
,	O
were	O
exclusively	O
used	O
for	O
distributing	O
cracked	O
software	B-Protocol
,	O
phreaking	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
questionable	O
or	O
unlawful	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
BBSes	O
often	O
had	O
multiple	O
modems	B-Application
and	O
phone	O
lines	O
,	O
allowing	O
several	O
users	O
to	O
upload	B-Application
and	O
download	B-Application
files	O
at	O
once	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
common	O
type	O
of	O
board	O
was	O
the	O
support	O
BBS	O
run	O
by	O
a	O
manufacturer	O
of	O
computer	O
products	O
or	O
software	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
boards	O
were	O
dedicated	O
to	O
supporting	O
users	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
products	O
with	O
question	O
and	O
answer	O
forums	O
,	O
news	O
and	O
updates	O
,	O
and	O
downloads	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
general-purpose	O
Bulletin	O
Board	O
Systems	O
had	O
special	O
levels	O
of	O
access	O
that	O
were	O
given	O
to	O
those	O
who	O
paid	O
extra	O
money	O
,	O
uploaded	B-Application
useful	O
files	O
or	O
knew	O
the	O
system	O
operator	O
personally	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
specialty	O
and	O
pay	O
BBSes	O
usually	O
had	O
something	O
unique	O
to	O
offer	O
their	O
users	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
large	O
file	O
libraries	O
,	O
warez	B-Application
,	O
pornography	O
,	O
chat	O
rooms	O
or	O
Internet	O
access	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pay	O
BBSes	O
such	O
as	O
The	O
WELL	O
and	O
Echo	O
NYC	O
(	O
now	O
Internet	B-Application
forums	I-Application
rather	O
than	O
dial-up	O
)	O
,	O
ExecPC	O
,	O
PsudNetwork	O
and	O
MindVox	O
(	O
which	O
folded	O
in	O
1996	O
)	O
were	O
admired	O
for	O
their	O
tight-knit	O
communities	O
and	O
quality	O
discussion	B-Application
forums	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
notorious	O
Rusty	B-Application
n	I-Application
Edie	I-Application
's	I-Application
BBS	I-Application
,	O
in	O
Boardman	O
,	O
Ohio	O
,	O
was	O
raided	O
by	O
the	O
FBI	O
in	O
January	O
1993	O
for	O
trading	O
unlicensed	O
software	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
later	O
sued	O
by	O
Playboy	O
for	O
copyright	O
infringement	O
in	O
November	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
is	O
it	O
was	O
prohibitively	O
expensive	O
for	O
the	O
hobbyist	O
system	O
operator	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
dedicated	O
connection	O
to	O
another	O
system	O
,	O
FidoNet	O
was	O
developed	O
as	O
a	O
store	B-Protocol
and	I-Protocol
forward	I-Protocol
network	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Private	O
email	O
(	O
Netmail	O
)	O
,	O
public	O
message	B-Application
boards	I-Application
(	O
Echomail	O
)	O
and	O
eventually	O
even	O
file	O
attachments	O
on	O
a	O
FidoNet-capable	O
BBS	O
would	O
be	O
bundled	O
into	O
one	O
or	O
more	O
archive	O
files	O
over	O
a	O
set	O
time	O
interval	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
archive	O
files	O
were	O
then	O
compressed	O
with	O
ARC	B-Application
or	O
ZIP	B-General_Concept
and	O
forwarded	O
to	O
(	O
or	O
polled	O
by	O
)	O
another	O
nearby	O
node	O
or	O
hub	O
via	O
a	O
dialup	O
Xmodem	B-Protocol
session	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
BBSes	O
that	O
did	O
not	O
have	O
integrated	O
FidoNet	O
capability	O
could	O
usually	O
add	O
it	O
using	O
an	O
external	O
FidoNet	O
front-end	B-General_Concept
mailer	O
such	O
as	O
SEAdog	O
,	O
FrontDoor	B-Protocol
,	O
BinkleyTerm	O
,	O
InterMail	O
or	O
D'Bridge	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
mail	O
processor	O
such	O
as	O
FastEcho	B-Protocol
or	O
Squish	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
front-end	B-General_Concept
mailer	O
would	O
conduct	O
the	O
periodic	O
FidoNet	O
transfers	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
mail	O
processor	O
would	O
usually	O
run	O
just	O
before	O
and	O
just	O
after	O
the	O
mailer	O
ran	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
other	O
BBS	O
networks	B-Architecture
followed	O
the	O
example	O
of	O
FidoNet	O
,	O
using	O
the	O
same	O
standards	O
and	O
the	O
same	O
software	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
were	O
called	O
FidoNet	O
Technology	O
Networks	B-Architecture
(	O
FTNs	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
networks	B-Architecture
used	O
QWK	O
doors	O
,	O
and	O
others	O
such	O
as	O
RelayNet	B-Protocol
(	O
RIME	O
)	O
and	O
WWIVnet	O
used	O
non-Fido	O
software	B-Protocol
and	O
standards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
commercial	O
Internet	O
access	O
became	O
common	O
,	O
these	O
networks	B-Architecture
of	O
BBSes	O
provided	O
regional	O
and	O
international	O
e-mail	O
and	O
message	O
bases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
even	O
provided	O
gateways	B-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
UFGATE	O
,	O
by	O
which	O
members	O
could	O
send	O
and	O
receive	O
e-mail	O
to	O
and	O
from	O
the	O
Internet	O
via	O
UUCP	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
many	O
FidoNet	O
discussion	O
groups	O
were	O
shared	O
via	O
gateway	B-Application
to	O
Usenet	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Elaborate	O
schemes	O
allowed	O
users	O
to	O
download	B-Application
binary	O
files	O
,	O
search	O
gopherspace	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
interact	O
with	O
distant	O
programs	B-Application
,	O
all	O
using	O
plain-text	O
e-mail	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
satellite	O
service	O
provided	O
access	O
to	O
FidoNet	O
and	O
Usenet	B-Application
newsgroups	O
in	O
large	O
volumes	O
at	O
a	O
reasonable	O
fee	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
connecting	O
a	O
small	O
dish	O
and	O
receiver	O
,	O
a	O
constant	O
downstream	O
of	O
thousands	O
of	O
FidoNet	O
and	O
Usenet	B-Application
newsgroups	O
could	O
be	O
received	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
local	O
BBS	O
only	O
needed	O
to	O
upload	B-Application
new	O
outgoing	O
messages	O
via	O
the	O
modem	B-Application
network	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
satellite	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FidoNet	O
is	O
still	O
in	O
use	O
today	O
,	O
though	O
in	O
a	O
much	O
smaller	O
form	O
,	O
and	O
many	O
Echomail	O
groups	O
are	O
still	O
shared	O
with	O
Usenet	B-Application
via	O
FidoNet	O
to	O
Usenet	B-Application
gateways	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Widespread	O
abuse	O
of	O
Usenet	B-Application
with	O
spam	O
and	O
pornography	O
has	O
led	O
to	O
many	O
of	O
these	O
FidoNet	O
gateways	B-Application
to	O
cease	O
operation	O
completely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
the	O
shareware	B-License
movement	O
was	O
started	O
via	O
user	O
distribution	O
of	O
software	B-Protocol
through	O
BBSes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
notable	O
example	O
was	O
Phil	O
Katz	O
's	O
PKARC	O
(	O
and	O
later	O
PKZIP	B-Application
,	O
using	O
the	O
same	O
"	O
.zip	B-General_Concept
"	O
algorithm	O
that	O
WinZip	B-Application
and	O
other	O
popular	O
archivers	O
now	O
use	O
)	O
;	O
also	O
other	O
concepts	O
of	O
software	B-Protocol
distribution	O
like	O
freeware	B-License
,	O
postcardware	O
like	O
JPEGview	B-Application
and	O
donationware	B-License
like	O
Red	O
Ryder	O
for	O
the	O
Macintosh	B-Device
first	O
appeared	O
on	O
BBS	O
sites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Doom	B-Application
from	O
id	O
Software	B-Protocol
and	O
nearly	O
all	O
Apogee	O
Software	B-Protocol
games	O
were	O
distributed	O
as	O
shareware	B-License
(	O
Apogee	O
is	O
,	O
in	O
fact	O
,	O
credited	O
for	O
adding	O
an	O
order	O
form	O
to	O
a	O
shareware	B-License
demo	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Internet	O
has	O
largely	O
erased	O
the	O
distinction	O
of	O
sharewaremost	O
users	O
now	O
download	B-Application
the	O
software	B-Protocol
directly	O
from	O
the	O
developer	O
's	O
website	O
rather	O
than	O
receiving	O
it	O
from	O
another	O
BBS	O
user	O
'	O
sharing	O
 '	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Today	O
shareware	B-License
is	O
commonly	O
used	O
to	O
mean	O
electronically-distributed	O
software	B-Protocol
from	O
a	O
small	O
developer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
commercial	O
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
companies	O
that	O
continue	O
to	O
support	O
their	O
old	O
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
products	O
switched	O
to	O
the	O
shareware	B-License
model	O
or	O
made	O
it	O
entirely	O
free	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
BBS	B-Protocol
software	I-Protocol
usually	O
provides	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
modern	O
BBSes	O
allow	O
telnet	B-Protocol
access	O
over	O
the	O
Internet	O
using	O
a	O
telnet	B-Protocol
server	O
and	O
a	O
virtual	O
FOSSIL	B-Protocol
driver	O
.	O
</s>
