THE WHATIS.COM WORD-OF-THE-DAY December 29, 2003 bulletin board system ______________________ SPONSORED BY: Smart CRM
Today, it's about smarter CRM. And that's exactly why SearchCRM.com and Peppers & Rogers Group have joined forces to bring you the industry's definitive CRM conference that delivers on both the promise and challenges of enterprise CRM. Attend Smart CRM conference in Atlanta, GA, February 11 - 13, and go home with tested CRM solutions and critical tips and techniques from the industry's leading independent experts, analysts, and the top principals from the Peppers and Rogers Group. Confirm your registration today and save $1,495. http://searchCRM.com/r/0,,19798,00.html?track=NL-34 ______________________ TODAY'S WORD: bulletin board system See our complete definition with hyperlinks and illustration at http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci213807,00.html?track=NL-34 A bulletin board system (BBS) is a computer or an application dedicated to the sharing or exchange of messages or other files on a network. Originally an electronic version of the type of bulletin board found on the wall in many kitchens and work places, the BBS was used to post simple messages between users. The BBS became the primary kind of online community through the 1980s and early 1990s, before the World Wide Web arrived. A BBS may be accessible from a dial-up modem, Telnet, or the Internet. Because it originated before the graphical user interface (GUI) became prevalent, the BBS interface was text-based. Although recent Web-based versions have a graphical, interactive user interface, the text-only interface preferred by BBS purists can often be accessed by Telnet. According to Justin Scott, co-founder of Sceiron Interactive and a former sysop, a Web-based BBS is essentially a Web site that is powered by BBS software rather than a Web server. Most BBSes are devoted to a particular subject, although some are more general in nature. Among special interests represented on BBSes are dentistry, law, guns, multi-player games, Druidic practices, and information for the disabled. A significant number of BBS sites offer "adult-oriented" chat and images that can be downloaded. The BBS is often free, although some charge a membership or use fee. Many BBSes have Web sites, and many Internet access providers have bulletin board systems from which new Internet users can download the necessary software to get connected. The BBS has its own culture and jargon. For example, a sysop is the person who runs the site. Online chat became widely popular through the BBS and many chat acronyms originated there. The first BBS, called the Computerized Bulletin Board System (CBBS), was created in 1978 by Ward Christensen and Randy Suess. Although ARPANET was in operation at that time, it was restricted to institutions funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. When CBBS went online, it became the first non-military computer-based community, other than timesharing systems (which allotted portions of mainframe processing time to a group of computers). An article by Christensen and Suess published in Byte magazine described CBBS and outlined the technology they had used to develop it, sparking the creation of many tens of thousands of BBSes all over the world. Despite the vastly greater reach of the Internet, the BBS is still fairly common in parts of the world where the Internet is less established and is still valued by many with Internet access for its ability to foster a sense of community. __________________________ RELATED TERMS: Telnet http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci213116,00.html?track=NL-34 sysop http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci214240,00.html?track=NL-34 chat acronym http://searchwebservices.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid26_gci211776,00.html?track=NL-34 ARPANET http://searchwebservices.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid26_gci213782,00.html?track=NL-34 ______________________ SELECTED LINKS: Yahoo!Directory lists links to a few of the remaining BBS resources. http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/Chats_and_Forums/Bulletin_Board_System__BBS_/ The History of the Internet Web site has an article called "1978: The First Computer Bulletin Board System, CBBS, Goes Online." http://www.historyoftheinternet.com/chap3.html Ambassador Board answers the question "What is a BBS?" http://www.ourhutch.com/ambassador/whatisit.html ______________________ TODAY'S TECH NEWS: CISCO'S 2004 OUTLOOK: NETWORK INTEL, WLANS, VOIP TO RULE Cisco's 2004 goals include increasing network intelligence and pushing its wireless LAN, VoIP and security products. Though the company is in a strong position for the year ahead, experts say certain parts of its strategy could backfire. http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid7_gci942190,00.html?track=NL-34 SYMMETRIX WOES, COMPETITION COULD HURT EMC IN 2004 EMC's path for 2004 is clear: Software, software and more software. But if the company doesn't address user complaints about migrating to its latest flagship storage systems, EMC may lose hardware customers to rivals like IBM. http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid5_gci942165,00.html?track=NL-34 MICROSOFT NEEDS TO SELL WHAT IT CREATED IN '03 In 2003, Microsoft shipped more major software releases than in any year in its history. 2004 will show how well those products are received in the market. http://searchwin2000.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid1_gci942160,00.html?track=NL-34 >> Catch up on all the latest IT news at http://searchtechtarget.techtarget.com?track=NL-34 ______________________ STRANGE BUT TRUE | Top 10 Bizarre IT News Items Technology might make our lives easier, but it's also good for a yuck or two. Or 10. Actually, the list of the most bizarre tech-related stories of 2003 could be a longer and more convoluted mess than Mr. and Mrs. Liza Minelli's divorce papers. But we've culled 10 that stand out. http://www.searchCIO.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid19_gci941875,00.html?track=NL-34 ______________________ SECRET WORD-OF-THE-DAY | What is IT? Years ago, this term might refer to the speed at which you could make butter. Now it's understood as the rate of customer turnover for a business. Do you think you know the Secret Word? Click this URL and see if you're right! http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/gDefinition/0,294236,sid11_gci940457,00.html?track=NL-34 ______________________________ RECENT ADDITIONS AND UPDATES [1] Fast Guide to IT Humor http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci942103,00.html?track=NL-34 [2] churn rate http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid11_gci940457,00.html?track=NL-34 [3] unary http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci940292,00.html?track=NL-34 [4] Ethernet/IP http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci940057,00.html?track=NL-34 [5] Faraday cage http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci942282,00.html?track=NL-34 ____________________________________________________________________ ::::::::::::::::::: WHATIS.COM CONTACTS ::::::::::::::::::: MARGARET ROUSE, Site Editor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) IVY WIGMORE, Consulting Editor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) LOWELL THING, Consulting Editor and Founder ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) GABRIELLE DERUSSY, Advertising ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ::::::::::::::::::::: ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER :::::::::::::::::::::: This newsletter is published by TechTarget, the most targeted IT media. http://www.techtarget.com?track=NL-34 Copyright 2003 TechTarget. 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