209:. The success of this project encouraged further experiments. CACHE members frequently shared programs and had long been discussing some form of file transfer using modems, and Christensen was naturally at the center of these discussions; however, Suess in particular was skeptical of accomplishing such a project by a volunteer committee. Christensen and Suess became enamored of the extended idea of creating a computerized answering machine and message center, which would allow members to call in with their then-new modems and leave announcements for upcoming meetings.
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Because the
Internet was still small and not available to most computer users, users had to dial CBBS directly using a modem. Also because the CBBS hardware and software supported only a single modem for most of its existence, users had to take turns accessing the system, each hanging up when done to
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computer to put the program on. They had a working version within two weeks, but claimed soon afterwards that it had taken four so that it wouldn't seem like a "rushed" project. Time and tradition have settled that date to be
February 16, 1978. Christensen and Suess described their innovation in an
186:, which dumped record amounts of snow throughout the Midwest. Among those caught in the storm were Christensen and Suess, who were members of CACHE, the Chicago Area Computer Hobbyists' Exchange. They had met at that
231:. Ward & Randy would often watch the users while they were online and comment or go into chat if the subject warranted. At times, online users wondered if Ward & Randy actually existed.
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declared the day "BBS" day in honor of the world's first BBS being created 25 years ago that day. An article with a photo of Ward and the CBBS hardware appeared shortly thereafter in the
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However, they needed some quiet time to set aside for such a project, and the blizzard gave them that time. Christensen worked on the software and Suess cobbled together an
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let someone else have access. Despite these limitations, the system was seen as very useful, and ran for many years and inspired the creation of many other
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As
Christensen and Suess went their separate ways, the CBBS name lived on, and survives to an extent as a web-based forum on Suess' website,
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connections, which was called, simply, MODEM. Later improvements to the program motivated a name change into the now familiar
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article entitled "Hobbyist
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There is still at least one active CBBS system as of August 2020.
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The program had many forward thinking ideas, now accepted as
358:(Illustrated ed.). Greenwood Publishing Group. p.
290:"Randy Suess, Computer Bulletin Board Inventor, Dies at 74"
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https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1978-11-rescan
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The first S-100 Hardware of the CBBS/Chicago (2005)
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16:Early online bulletin board system (created 1978)
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175:to exchange information between each other.
352:Eric Gottfrid Swedin; David L. Ferro (2005).
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355:Computers: The Life Story of a Technology
116:Learn how and when to remove this message
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19:For the Canadian radio station, see
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336:BBS: The Documentary (series)
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417:Byte Magazine, vol 3 no 11
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439:History of the Internet
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388:"The Birth of the BBS"
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48:Please help
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169:Randy Suess
163:created by
513:Categories
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394:2007-02-18
369:0313331499
321:2014-07-18
301:2019-12-22
275:References
243:chinet.com
223:magazine.
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482:"CBBS/NV"
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