Feb. 16, 1978 -- forty eight years ago today -- the first public dial-up bulletin board system or BBS went online.

Wired: "1978: Ward Christensen and Randy Suess launch the first public dialup bulletin board system. The two unleash the kernel of what would eventually spawn the world wide web, countless online messaging systems..."

https://www.wired.com/2010/02/0216cbbs-first-bbs-bulletin-board/

I got my first modem in the summer of 1986, a Prometheus ProModem 1200A (modem on a card) for the Apple II. The first BBS I logged in to was OxGate, an RBBS/RCPM system the phone number of which I still can remember (my earliest BBS software -- firmware-based on that modem card -- had no phone book). I used BBSs avidly until sometime in 1994, when I subscribed to a local ISP's (Widomaker of Williamsburg, VA) dial-up modem-based PPP service that brought TCP/IP to my 486 PC with Windows 3.1. I could then browse the web from home, and that was basically the end of BBSing for me -- for the moment, anyway.

For those interested in experiencing this early form of online community, there are many BBSs online right now, accessible via telnet on systems old and new. I've enjoyed getting back into BBSing this way, especially when using vintage systems to login.

Most any computer can do it, today. Tips on how: https://bytecellar.com/bbsing

#BulletinboardSystem #BBS #BBSing #telnet #dialup #modem #online #terminals #terminalprograms #computinghistory #history #computers #vintagecomputing #retrocomputing #retrocomputers #nostalgia #ATDT #onlineforums #preinternet #internet #communication #RBBS #AppleII #CRT #memories #Wired #tech #technews #technology

Did you know I run a BBS (bulletin board system)? In the year 2026? On a Commodore VIC-20?! It's a great little board - give it a call!

bbs.deepskies.com:6400

It runs at 1200 baud and is open 24/7! Tell them Rick sent you!

#BBS #BulletinBoardSystem #VICBBS #VIC20 #Commodore #C64 #Atari #RetroComputing #RetroProgramming #Modem #Telnet #Terminal #OldSchool

Serial Number 3!!!!!
Thanks Bucko for building another new version of BBS On A Stick!
https://8bitboyz.com/?s=bbs+on+a+stick+v2.4
#Commodore #c64 #BBS #BulletinBoardSystem #Telenet #Retro

Happy New Year!!!!!
What better way to start off 2026 than with the yearly update for Image BBS v3.0!
Here is the link to the latest yearly update just realease by X-Tec:
https://8bitboyz.com/download/2025-fixes-for-image-3-0-version-1/

#Commodore #BBS #BulletinBoardSystem #Telenet #C64

To get started, you could call into my BBS (bbs.deepskies.com:6400) from a C64 or C128, and then use Xmodem to download Saturn3 from my board. Then transfer that over to your VIC-20 and start surfing the boards on your mighty VIC!

#RetroComputing #Commodore #VIC20 #Terminal #BBS #BulletinBoardSystem

Just updated the VIC-BBS to include Xmodem uploads and downloads. There's a complementary VIC-20 terminal program called "Saturn3" that also includes Xmodem upload and download.

So now, VIC-20 users can finally do file transfers without having to rely on a friend with a C64! Keep in mind I didn't test this much, but give it a shot if you're interested.

bbs.deepskies.com:6400

https://github.com/VA3DSO/VIC-BBS

#Commodore #VIC20 #RetroComputing #BBS #BulletinBoardSystem #Xmodem #FileTransfers #Modem #DialUp #80sTech #RetroComputing

ATDT because BBS still rocks!

#BBS
#BBSing
#BulletinBoardSystem
#Modem
#Dialup
#Hayes
#ATDT

Ah! This takes me back! Surfing the BBSes on my Commodore VIC-20. I use a custom terminal program, but one of the screen colour choices emulates the original VICTERM from Commodore back in 1981. This is how visiting the boards looked to me in the early 80s!

#Commodore #VIC20 #RetroComputing #BBS #BBSing #BulletinBoardSystem #C64 #Commodore64 #8Bit

Did I ever mention RC-BOX BBS - the world's first and (currently) only RC2014 based bulletin board system?!

Running on a real RC2014, powered by a Z80, CP/M 2.2 and a highly customized fork of RBBS4 this single-user system offers you the 1985 online experience.

Text games available on the CP/M command shell !!

P.S.: connection info is in the ALT-text or in my profile info.

#rc2014bbs
#rcbox
#rc2014
#bbs
#rcbbs
#bulletinboardsystem
#z80

Dial-Up BBS Connection Test
#Commodore64 #C64BBS #RetroComputing #DialUpBBS #CommodoreBBS #BulletinBoardSystem
https://theoasisbbs.com/dial-up-bbs-connection-test/?feed_id=3392&_unique_id=682b308335740

Speaking of the - now abandoned - #MagickaBBS: I've preserved the last "known to compile and run" version of the code on my #Codeberg because I really like this software and always thought it was a pity that the project was halted.

I've also been able to preserve some of the original documentation for the software, although I can *not* guarantee that it will match the checked in codebase in any way. Yet, I still think it's useful.

https://codeberg.org/ufud-org/MagickaBBS

#BBS
#bulletinboardsystem

addendum: I've found something more or less useful to do with the aforementioned setup. I'm still trying to iron out a few things, but it's amazing what a little overclocking can do.

I'm quite impressed at how responsive #NetBSD on the #RapberryPi Model 1 B (without the "plus" but with 512MB RAM - it's a rather early board manufactured in 12/2011) is.

So I decided to run #MagickaBBS on it, simply because it was the only #BBS software that I was able to compile on NetBSD - most other #bulletinboardsystem #software will not compile on #NetBSD (evbarm platform) for one or another reason - what a shame.

Anyway: about five years ago, I've had quite a creative burst and designed several #ANSI screens (example: see below) that I've never put into use. But this seems to be the right time to finally change that.

Stay tuned or follow: #netbsdonoldpi (NetBSD on old Pi) - I'll try to provide further updates in case you are interested ...

Aaron Revives RAMifications: A 1990s Commodore 128 BBS Returns Online
#Commodore128 #BBS #C128 #RetroComputing #TelnetBBS #VintageTechnology #RAMifications #BulletinBoardSystem #CommodoreBBS #RetroBBS
https://theoasisbbs.com/aaron-revives-ramifications-a-1990s-commodore-128-bbs-returns-online/?feed_id=3022&_unique_id=680f7ead93e4c

Out there, in the worrying world of today is a little #Zilog #Z80 computer with a mere 64KB of #RAM and running the #1970s CP/M operating system.

This little machine is connected to the #intertubes and it's serving a #singleuser #bulletinboardsystem for you, the worrying souls of #yesteryears to visit.

Take a break from today, connect like it's 1985 - here on RC-BOX BBS, the world's first and (currently) only #rc2014 based bulletin board system in the world!

Check out the #alttext or my #profile info for information on how to connect.

#bbs
#rc2014bbs
#rcbox

American Users Discover Snobsoft BBS – A 40-Year-Old System Still Thriving
#Commodore64 #C64 #BBS #RetroComputing #SnobSoft #VintageTech #80sComputing #BulletinBoardSystem
https://theoasisbbs.com/american-users-discover-snobsoft-bbs-a-40-year-old-system-still-thriving/?feed_id=1779&_unique_id=67b889426efb1

Happy BBSday !!

On this day today in 1978, Ward Christensen and Randy Suess took the world's first bulletin board system (the "CBBS") officially online.

#BBSDay
#CBBS
#WardChristensen
#RandySuess
#BulletinBoardSystem

A Tour of The Dark Lord’s C-Net 12.0 BBS (1988)
#C64 #Commodore64 #BBS #Sysop #RetroComputing #VintageTech #CNet12 #80sComputing #ClassicMods #BulletinBoardSystem
https://theoasisbbs.com/a-tour-of-the-dark-lords-c-net-12-0-bbs-1988/?feed_id=1591&_unique_id=67ab5960aba47

I have updated my BBSing resource page, for anyone with a hankerin' to "dial in" once again.

https://bytecellar.com/bbsing/

#BBS #BBSing #BulletinBoardSystem #terminal #telnet #client #vintagecomputing #retrocomputing #nostalgia #dialup #modem #AT #retrocomputers #vintagetech #blog #screenshot #video #SyncTerm #MuffinTerm #ByteCellar

... an update from the trenches:

the code snippet which has been loosely resembling #BBS core functionality (the one I once wrote in #DXForth) has seen a few updates recently.

so now "DX BBS" is able to read and output ASCII text files (it could only read #Forth screen blocks before).

I've also fixed several issues where a connection drop would sometimes allow the next caller to "capture" the previous session.

Next on the list will be the whole "post-a-message" process: writing an index file entry for each new message and storing the corresponding message text etc.

long distant future design goals (so far):

(+) implement DX Forth SIO/2 driver

(+) implement a stable (disconnect proof) BBS program loop

(+) stay true to pure ASCII output only, no fancy escape squences or colors - just like RBBS / RCBBS do

(+) implement text (ASCII) file output

(-) store BBS configuration in plain ASCII text file

(-) implement mesage posting procedure

(-) implement message reading procedure

(-) implement message maintenance procdure (delete msg.)

(-) implement user database

(-) implement user database maintenace procedure (delete / modify user)

(-) implement simple user ACL / flag system

(-) implement (x)modem transfers

I don't have a real roadmap, my motivation may vary and the above is just what I think are the minimum requirements for a classic CP/M based bulletin board system. To give you an impression: it should resemble what #rc2014 #rcbbs does at the moment.

#rc2014
#cpm
#retrocoding
#forth
#bulletinboardsystem
#funwithforth

What terminal do people use for #bbs's? I've tried syncterm and mysicbbs / netrunner but I either couldn't get it to work or it didn't work any better than tellnet (e.g. animations were weird)

Preferably something that works on #linux or #android / #termux

#bulletinboardsystem