Blast from the past

[Ofnuts]

BBS were before the internet... Basically someone that let a computer running with one or more modems attached to it. You would call it, and upload/download files from it and read/answer messages. A bit like a forum, but with a phone number instead of an IP. Little cost for the owner (except the electricity bill) since the telecom companies charge the caller and not the callee. Compuserve and AOL were initially just BBS on steroids.