A BBS, or bulletin board system, is a computer that people connect to so they can read and post messages, send private mail, and play games together. Each board is run by one person, called the sysop, and each has its own members, its own rules, and its own personality. Before the web, this was how most people went online.
How a BBS worked
In the 1980s and early 1990s, a BBS was usually a home computer with a modem plugged into a phone line. You told your own modem to dial the board's number. If nobody else was connected, you got in. If someone was, you got a busy signal and tried again later.
Once connected, you logged in with a handle instead of your real name. The screen was all text, often drawn in bright ANSI colors. You pressed single keys to move around: M for messages, E for email, D for doors.
Because long-distance calls cost money, most callers stuck to boards in their own area code. That made every BBS a local hangout. You often knew the other callers from school or work, and sysops held real-world meetups.
A short history
- 1978. Ward Christensen and Randy Suess put the first public board, CBBS, online in Chicago. They built it during a blizzard.
- 1984. FidoNet arrives and lets separate boards pass messages to each other overnight, one phone call at a time.
- Late 1980s to mid 1990s. The peak. Tens of thousands of boards run in the United States alone, from bedroom hobby systems to commercial services with dozens of phone lines.
- Mid 1990s. Home internet and the web take over. Most boards shut down or become internet providers.
- Today. A committed scene keeps boards alive over telnet, and browser-based boards are bringing the format to people who never owned a modem.
What you could do on a BBS
- Message subs. Topic areas where callers posted and replied. This is the ancestor of the web forum.
- Email. Private mail between callers on the same board.
- Door games. Games like Legend of the Red Dragon and TradeWars 2002, played a few turns a day against the other callers. See BBS door games.
- File areas. Shareware, text files, and art packs to download.
- Bulletins and one-liners. News from the sysop, and a wall where callers left a single line for the next person to read.
- Chat. On a one-line board, that meant paging the sysop and hoping they were home.
BBS words worth knowing
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sysop | System operator. The person who runs the board |
| Co-sysop | A trusted caller who helps run it |
| Caller | A member. The name stuck from the dial-up days |
| Handle | Your name on the board |
| Sub | A message area for one topic |
| Door | An external program, usually a game, launched from the board |
| ANSI | Colored text art used for logos and menus |
| One-liner | A single-line message left on a shared wall |
| Echomail | Public messages shared between boards on a network like FidoNet |
Do BBSes still exist?
Yes, in two forms.
Telnet boards. Hobbyists run classic software such as Synchronet and Mystic and accept connections over the internet instead of phone lines. The Telnet BBS Guide lists hundreds of active systems. You connect with a terminal program like SyncTERM.
Browser boards. These keep the structure of a BBS, including subs, mail, doors, hotkeys, and ANSI art, and run in a normal web page. EchoBBS is one. Each board lives at its own address, and callers need nothing installed. You can look around a live one at echobbs.com/b/bnt or browse the board directory.
Why people are coming back
A BBS is small on purpose. There is no feed, no algorithm, and no stranger with a million followers. There is one person in charge, a few dozen regulars, and a reason to check in once a day.
For people worn out by endless group chats and giant platforms, that is the appeal. A board feels like a place. You can read everything that was posted since your last visit and then log off, done.
BBS, forum, or Discord?
A web forum is the direct descendant of BBS message subs, minus the games, the mail, and the single-sysop feel. Discord is built around live chat and voice, so conversations move fast and scroll away. If a forum is what you need, see free forum hosting compared.
A BBS sits between them: slower than chat, more personal than a forum, with games built in. For a closer look, read BBS vs Discord.
Want your own? Here is how to start a BBS.
Frequently asked questions
What does BBS stand for?
Bulletin board system. The name comes from the cork boards in shops and community halls where people pinned notices.
Is a BBS the same as a forum?
Not quite. A forum is mainly message threads. A BBS adds private mail, door games, bulletins, and one sysop who shapes the whole place.
Was a BBS part of the internet?
Originally, no. You dialed each board directly over the phone network. Today's boards run over the internet.
Can I visit a BBS today?
Yes. Telnet boards need a terminal program. Browser boards open like any website.
Who invented the BBS?
Ward Christensen and Randy Suess launched CBBS, the first public bulletin board system, in Chicago in 1978.