Roots of the 'Forum' - the 'BBS'

One thing I learned many years ago is to never throw away a necktie, unless I had soiled it beyond repair by dribbling Arby's barbecue sauce all over myself during a rushed luncheon.  Neckties are to gentlemen like shoes are to women - they will always come back in style at some point down the road.  I almost hate myself for saying this.  I know I am just pouring gasoline on an already healthy fire known as my lady friend's 'Shoe Museum' that now occupies the space formerly known as my closet. The most popular medium of today's internet is somewhat similar - the Forum.

 
While perusing a Sacred 2: Fallen Angels board this morning an odd déjà vus moment hit me. The year was 1991 and my warrior was getting beat on like a rent-a-car in Conan the Cimmerian by Virgin Interactive on my Packard Bell 386 computer. Back then the rage was all about 'Hint Lines' - a telephone number you could call to get assistance and tips on a certain game. But there was another option that was available to frustrated gamers - the Bulletin Board System (BBS). This was basically the precursor to what we now know as Forums.

The BBS was developed in the late 1970's as a means to allow users to share information, data and to communicate with each other on their mutually shared passion. Most of these were purely text generated graphical affairs requiring a modem to dial into the host - for the most part they were not supported in the early days of the internet. A long distance call was often required from your LAN line to connect to these hubs (usually ran off a dedicated server in some guy's house). You had to be quick - get in, post/get your info and log off.  Time dawdling would result in your telephone bill skyrocketing beyond your fiscal means (at least for me). The foundation for the Forum as we now know it was laid.

Besides the sharing of information, creating communities has always been a goal of the internet. I did not embrace this aspect of the BBS in its early days - I just wanted the info to defeat Saranj and his entourage of saber wielding bandits in the courtyard of Nanuck. I was frugal with my discretionary financial resources, which were extremely limited at the time, to fully partake in this aspect of the BBS.  Thank goodness technology has evolved to allow resources like RF Generation, Digital Press, ASSEMblers and the like to provide this integral goal for free.

Unlike most of my 50+ neckties that sit in storage awaiting their rebirth, the groundwork established by the BBS has reemerged countless times during the development of the internet. From My Space to Twitter to our favorite bookmarked Forums, the legacy of the BBS still lives on and flourishes to this day.  Only time will tell what new incarnation of the BBS will surface down the road.
 

CTRL-X (terminating modem connection)