Connect: A Look At Bulletin Board Systems

This is an old documentary about Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) that was produced back in 1992. I don't remember where I came across this video originally, it's been many years now, but it's a truly fascinating look back at where Computers came from, and the early days before the "Internet Age" really took hold. I used to connect to several BBS systems back in the day, so this is what I call nostalgic by far. Very dated, REALLY geeky, if it's not informative, it should at least be humorous. Enjoy.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Bulletin
• Board
• System
• BBS
• Documentary
• Computer
• Modem
• Baud
• Quantumlink
• Amiga
• Commodore
• Vic20
• C64
• IBM
• telecomunications

[abstractheory]

Yeah, computers used to be fun.

[dakroland]

@abstractheory Computers aren't fun anymore? I still think it's fun to pull out the old Commodore VIC=20 and an issue of Family Computing Magazine and punch in an old Basic program to to see if can have fun modifying the code. Nostalgic, but still fun.

[roofy2k]

anyone remember HB2A? 

[dakroland]

@roofy2k I never heard of it.

[lesliekwan80]

This really takes me back. Kids these days are spoiled with internet.

[VintageJunior]

I think I'll invest in Commodore Amiga stocks.

[abstractheory]

@dakroland well yeah, that's what I meant. The old ones are awesome. It's the new ones that have gotten boring. Yeah, programming BASIC was soo much fun. I miss doing that. One time I made a horse racing game where you could bet on the horses. 10 RANDOMIZE TIMER 20 X = INT(RND * 100) Wow that takes me back.

[sparky4444444444444]

I wanna make my own BBS!!!

^^ for learning exploration and awesomeness

[bradc314]

I was working for a company about 2 years ago that was still running a BBS for the two customers that would dial in and get their data. Apparently a memo was missed.....

[guitarbrad]

I was a sysop on a BBS in the 80s in the 201 NJ area code called Outlaw's Hideout. It is still listed on the master BBS list on textfiles [dot] com.

[biranecisse]

I used to host a WWIV BBS back in the early 90's...

[Fetcha200]

@SlightyDisturbedNBK Can you please explain to me why those days were better? I guess that back in those days you actually required to use your head to be able to use those programs. But I feel like nowadays, everything is easier. Is it because there's no challenge to be able to communicate on the internet? I was born in 1990, but I only played computer games, never got into the whole Bulletin board system thing. But oh man the games were great back then! Decent Game!

[SupremeColZod]

Ah yes, I once downloaded DOOM from a BBS on the East Coast, cost my parents $200 in phone bills. It took like four hours.

[johnnylifeson]

Those days were fun.. Maximus was a great system.. The Draw was a great ANSI SCREEN creator ..