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.   More detail...