Delving into Bulletin Board systems
So I decided to finally give BBS a try. I was already on Gemini, Gopher and Finger. I figured I'd try and get into BBS as well.
For those who are (somehow) not in the know, BBS stands for Bulletin Board Systems. They were basically the intetnet before the World Wide Web. They were pagaes and board you loaded up on command line interfaces where you can chat with other people and such-like.
BBS use what is called the "TelNet" interface, though some now support SSL, which I can't get working, so Telnet it is!
BBS is probably considered part of the Deep Web nowadays, alongside Gopher, Finger and Gemini, as they aren't indexed by any major search engine and you can't access them with Firefox, Chromium, or any major browser. Not without addons and modifications, anyway.
It's not immediately obvious what you need to get into BBS. Surprisingly simple once you figure it out, but it's that initial obsticle that I can imagine would turn some away.
The best client I've found for BBS systems is called "SyncTerm", which has an installed and pre-compiled binary on Windows and MacOS, but it's something you may need to build on Linux yourself, depending on your distro.
SyncTerm clients for Mac and Windowsa
Here's a good tutorial on how to compile/install on Linux.
So I found some rooms to join, and I found one, The Quantum Wormhole that's surprisingly busy and has meetups on a real time chat, and I joined just as one started. I had a blast, and really clicked with the people there! They introduced me to their Discord and Matrix rooms, too!
Honestly, I can't recall clicking with anyone online as much as these guys! They love their physical media and retro content, like me! That's a lot harder to find online than you'd imagine!
I found another one with people logging in from Amigas and even a Commodore PET! A COMMODORE PET! That is amazing!
It's also interesting stumbling across one that's been around since the 80s, and seeing messages from that time. It feels kind of bizzare!
BBSes when you can find one that's active, feel like great hangout spaces! For those who want a space to chat to others without the shadow that is data collection looming over you, BBS is a great place! You might need to do some digging to find active ones, though.
Here are some cool BBSes that I found to get you started:
Where to find more:
7 Modern BBSes Worth Calling Today | PCMag
Further Information:
Source