How did Bulletin Board Systems in the late 80s and early 90s work?
In: 70
We used devices (modems) that converted the analog sounds of a telephone line into digital bits to/from the computer. That way we could send bytes of data over a phone line. If you tried to listen to is with your ears, it sounded like horrible screeches and hissing because the frequencies changed so fast.
Okay, so now you need software to display the data, convert your keyboard signals into data, and talk to the modem (usually through a serial port, using a protocol called RS-232). An example of that software is “terminal emulator” software like ProComm. or Telix.
So now you use ProComm to talk to the modem and issue a special command, to dial a phone number and connect. Something like “ATDT15554321234”. Once connected, the speed and maybe compression is negotiated by the remote software and your software. Bam, you’re connected and receiving the welcome screen. Presented with choices… and can interact using all the keys on the keyboard.
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