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A Bulletin Board System (BBS) is an electronic message centre that enables users to connect to the system using a special program and phone line. Upon doing so, users are then able to send and receive files, download software and data, upload date, play games, read news, post and receive messages and have discussions with other users through a “thread.�? Hosted by a “SysOp�? (system operator), usually hobbyists, some bulletin boards are run free of charge while others are made available to users for a subscription fee. Bulletin boards are a common feature of most communities, operating as a way to “reinforce community ties�? and “indicative of community vitality (Rosenberg, 2004, p. 605).�? Some systems operate to cover a wide variety of topics for discussion, while others encompass a certain theme, such as sports, religion, programming or any other chosen topic (BBS Corner, 2005).
The first electronic bulletin board was developed in 1977 at Berkeley, California in the USA. Named the Community Memory Project, there was a delay in its establishment in retail stores and community centres, due to the “voluntary nature of the project (Rosenberg, 2004, p. 605)�? and the struggle to attain the necessary software. This bulletin board was used as a means for people to “speak their mind, check the city council’s agenda, find toxic hot spots in the neighbourhood and locate used cars and housing (Savage in Rosenberg, 2004, p. 605). More bulletin boards organised by community groups, clubs and individuals developed in the USA.
A current issue concerning the use of bulletin board systems is the responsibility of the SysOp, in regards to the behaviour of subscribers. Subscribers have the ability to post illegal information on a bulletin board, leaving the question of whether or not the SysOp is to blame. Although the law in regards to this is ambiguous, there have been prosecutions for those who used bulletin boards for illegal doings, such as posting stolen credit card numbers, pirated software as well as trading information between members of a paedophile ring (Barranger in Rosenberg, 2004, p. 605).
In 2003, the estimate for the number of generally accessible bulletin boards was over 50 000. This figure did not include local systems, which were unaccounted for. In spite of this, it is difficult to monitor the prominance of a bulletin board system, with new ones being created as old ones disappear regularly. Furthermore, the liveliness of a bulletin board varies with peaks and troughs, as new threads appear and old ones die, new members join and old ones leave. However, the future of bulletin board systems in regards to its functionality "will not expand much beyond the basics (www.thocp.net, 2000)" of download directories, special interest groups and email.
BBS Corner. (2005) Overview of Bulletin Board Systems http://www.dmine.com/bbscorner/bbsintro.htm (Accessed on 8 October 2005)
Rosenberg, R. S. (2004). The Social Impact of Computers. 3rd Ed. San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press.
The History of Computing Project. (2000) Bulletin Board Systems. http://www.thocp.net/software/software_reference/bbs_system.htm (Acessed on 8 October 2005)
