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Ideas/Section-2
You can use BBSes to
send and receive messages from people
all around the world where there is a telephone; send and
receive various files and programs from people and
companies; as well as play games, receive information, and
just have a good a good time.
What Is A Computer Bulletin Board?
Computer bulletin boards are more commonly
referred to as
a bulletin board system, or "BBS" (for short). A BBS is
a
computer that uses a special program whaich allows other
computers to call it up by using regular phone lines. A
BBS is like a storage facility that permits people to send
and receive messages through their computers, as well as
send and receive files.
General Uses of BBSes
There are many uses for BBSes. You can
use them like a
regular (cork) bulletin board. You can use them to post
jokes, notices, news flashes, and so on... You can also
use them much the same way that you would use a CB.
People can hold a "conversation" over the computer by
sending messages back and forth just by typing the
sentences into the computer, and posting them on a BBS.
BBSes can also be used to send and receive private
messages. You can use a BBS to gather information about a
certain topic, as well as ask other people to help you
with something. A lot of people exchange files and
programs, and play games with people through the computer.
You can also use BBSes to buy and sell things.
The Business Use of BBSes
Many businesses use BBSes to send electronic
mail to
distributors, and distributing networks. They use them
also to talk to business prospects. Businesses use BBSes
for a variety of reasons. Auto Repair Shops, Mail-Order
Companies, Government Offices, Travel Agencies, Banks, and
Sales Organizations are among the different types of
businesses that frequently use BBSes to do business.
A Short History Of BBSes
In 1978, Ward Christiansen and Randy Suess
wrote the first
BBS software program. They called it CBBS (Computer
Bulletin Board System). They designed the BBS to look
like a real bulletin board that you would find in a
supermarket, a school, or at the office. The idea was for
people and businesses to be able to use their computers to
exchange information, post messages and contact people
over the phone.
Since then, BBSes have become mainstream,
numbering close
to over 40,000 public and 120,000 private BBSes. There
are approximately 12 million BBS users nationwide, and
growing daily as modems become standard equipment
in every computer sold, growing at a rate of about 10,000
a day. Estimates suggest that by the year 2000 there will
be more than 25 million BBS users nationwide. Get ready
to give them information.
