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A computer system used for posting
electronic messages, storing files and chatting with other users. Many
bulletin board system (bbs) are devoted to particular topics: other serve
the interest of a variety of special-interest and discussion groups. Anyone
with a computer and a modem can start a bulletin board providing they have
the right software. this led to the establishment of over 50,000 such
systems worldwide by the beginning of the 1990s.
Despite a strong
and distinctive culture, the popularity of stand-alone bulletin boards has
declined with the growth of the internet, largely because all their
functions can be easily duplicated on websites that are reachable by any
internet user instead of only a handful of individuals. However, many
bulletin board systems now operate their own websites alongside their
original bbs software and remain prosperous. |