CBBS
| Company type | Software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer software |
| Founded | February 16, 1978 |
| Founder | Ward Christensen, Randy Suess |
| Products | Bulletin board system software |
CBBS (short for Computerized Bulletin Board System) was a computer program developed by Ward Christensen and Randy Suess to facilitate information sharing among computer enthusiasts. During the Great Blizzard of 1978 in Chicago, Christensen and Suess—both members of CACHE, the Chicago Area Computer Hobbyists' Exchange—utilized the enforced downtime in January 1978 to create CBBS. Prior to this, Christensen had developed the MODEM protocol for file transfers, which was later enhanced into XMODEM, providing a foundation for CBBS.
Their concept was to create a digital message hub where users could connect via modem to post messages. Suess constructed an S-100 computer to run the software, and within approximately two weeks—officially launched on February 16, 1978—they had a functional platform. This breakthrough was featured in Byte magazine in November 1978.
Before the era of widespread Internet connectivity, users accessed CBBS by dialing directly through a modem. Since the system operated with only one modem line, users connected one at a time in sequence. Despite this constraint, CBBS became a valuable resource and served as inspiration for many subsequent bulletin board systems. Christensen and Suess occasionally monitored interactions and participated in conversations with users.
CBBS pioneered several key features that have become standard in modern message boards. Although Christensen and Suess eventually went their separate ways, the CBBS brand persists, notably as an online forum hosted on Suess' website chinet.com. Christensen's own "Ward's Board" ceased operations in the early 1990s.
On February 16, 2003, Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley proclaimed that date as "BBS Day" in honor of CBBS's 25th anniversary. The creators and original hardware of CBBS were highlighted in the Chicago Tribune. As of August 2020, at least one CBBS installation remained operational.