(Feeling nostalgic)
While I know BBSes still exist in modern telnet form, and I’m sure even a few (at least one of which I used merely a couple years ago) with real modem and phone line connectivity, I really long for my BBS days where I signed in, played some door games, sent a bunch of messages, and tried downloading Doom for the 12th time (MOM PUT THE PHONE DOWN!).
It’s hard to even say when I stopped using them really; my old copy of Telix is still around with phone numbers from the 1990s, even pre-dating 10-digit dialing in the Philly area. I honestly can’t recall if the BBSes announced shutting down, or if I just stopped using them due to AOL and later on an internet service providers. Thinking about it, I would have made a big deal about signing in “one last time” if I knew they were going away. I do remember 1-2 of them shutting down, but I had a small handful that were my go-to’s that are still in the list.
Yes I can easily buy or build an ESP8266 based wifi-modem to connect to modern BBSes, and even slap a pair of modems and a line simulator in there somewhere to really get the experience, but wouldn’t it be cool if those old BBSes from yonder years, perhaps still existing as 1s and 0s on old hard drives laying on shelves, could be resurrected with that old data as a nostalgic throwback to us nerds??
Calling All Former Sysops
I propose a BBS Reboot – if you were a sysop back then, and perhaps still have that old gear, or at least an old drive that still has your BBS on it, boot it back up! Run it in a VM if you have to, get a telnet fossil driver, and get it back online!
It wouldn’t be easy; actually the technical side wouldn’t be too bad, as modern PCs are STILL dos compatible, super fast, and have eons of storage compared to back then. Other BBSes based on Apple/Commodore/etc should be relatively easy both with modern emulators, and the fact that a lot of that hardware is not only around but restored in some cases, and now there are a ton of IP-to-serial gadgets like the ESP8266 and other things to connect them up to the net.
The real challenge would be how to get the word out about it, reach out to your old users, some of whom may no longer even be around, and get them to enjoy it again. Perhaps we establish a directory that sysops can post to. Hrmmm!
Anyhow – if you were a sysop back in the 80s, 90s, or whenever, dust off those old drives, restore those BBSes and get them back online! #BBSREBOOT