In the 80s and early 90s, a very interesting community was emerging among computer users. Isolated machines were becoming connected by way of phone line, modem, and Bulletin Board Systems (BBS’).

BBS’ were generally single phone-line systems, meaning only one person could log in at a time. They were operated by passionate computer owners (System Operators, or SysOps) that enjoyed the idea of providing a service to the computing community.

In computing circles, running a BBS also offered a certain mystique. A visit to the local computer store was sure to provoke whispers from curious clerks and customers. “He’s the guy that runs ‘The Lion’s Den’”. “No way!” Online communication was becoming more commonplace, and people were beginning to wonder who lingered behind the computer they dialed into every night.

Among the services provided by a BBS were message areas that allowed users to read, write and reply to messages of varying topics. Some of the most interesting and eloquent writing I’ve ever seen has been on BBS systems. Passion and arrogance often marked the aliased personalities in this emerging communication medium.

Public domain and shareware software distribution models made their first appearance in the file areas of BBS systems, often made available with no caveats. Especially fickle SysOps enforced a ‘file ratio’, meaning that a user was required to upload 1 file for every ‘n’ files downloaded. This ensured that new files were always flowing into the system.

Upsetting a SysOp was never advisable. He or she held arbitrary power and was free to deny or allow access on a whim. BBS users were generally a self-policing group, fearful that poor behaviour would result in closure of the system. Since BBS’ were mainly run without profit, they often disappeared for no other reason that the operator becoming bored.

I ran an Amiga-specific BBS for serveral years in the early 90s. It was a very interesting period in the timeline of computers, and I’m glad I was a part of it.

I’m also happy to report that I was equally fanatical back then. I wrote for an computer magazine called Amiga Report. My favourite article came in issue 2.14, circa April 1994 — a small piece called Positive Thinking in which I described methods to thwart the inevitable Intel/Windows-based personal computer takeover.

With a few exceptions, most BBS’ have dried up, and the Internet has made BBSing obsolete. Even though the medium continues to change, I predict a trend back to smaller online groups where communities are more intimate and specialized.

IRC networks like Efnet and newsgroups networks like Usenet still exist, and will continue to flourish because a lot of data does not imply a lot of community.