From the vintage computer standpoint, connecting machines started with Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) lines and modems to access timeshare systems and Bulletin Board Systems (BBS's). This era (1970s–1990s) bridged isolated hobbyist machines to shared resources, fostering community and data exchange. Modems converted digital data to analog tones for transmission over phone lines, enabling dial-up access. This write-up explains timesharing, terminal programs, the BBS phase, FIDOnet, timelines, software, and top BBS's.
Timesharing allowed multiple users to share a powerful mainframe computer simultaneously via terminals, solving the problem of expensive hardware access for individuals. Users dialed in with modems to "time-share" CPU cycles, running programs remotely. At first, people would use dumb terminals (e.g., Teletype ASR-33 or video terminals like DEC VT100) connected via modems. Services offered programming (BASIC, FORTRAN), data processing, games, and databases. Typical costs: $5–$20/hour connect time plus phone charges (1970s–1980s). Popular services: The Source (1979, $2.75/hour off-peak), CompuServe (1969, $5/hour), GE Time-Sharing (1960s, enterprise-focused). By the 1980s, flat-rate plans emerged ($10–$20/month unlimited off-peak).
As time went on and hobbyists got "real" computers, people would use terminal programs like QModem (1985, Mustard Software) and ProComm (1985, Datastorm Technologies). These emulated terminals on PCs, supporting ANSI/VT100, file transfers (XMODEM/ZMODEM), and scripting. They made dial-up intuitive, with phonebooks, macros, and auto-dialing—essential for BBS/timeshare access.
The BBS phase began in the late 1970s as individuals set up a BBS running on their own computer, buying an extra phone line at their own cost (typically $20–$50/month residential) and allowing others to call in. People could play games, download files, send messages—this was a precursor to email today. BBS's ran on home micros like TRS-80, Apple II, or IBM PC, often single-line (one caller at a time). Timeline: First BBS (CBBS, 1978 by Ward Christensen/Randy Suess); peak 1980s–early 1990s (over 60,000 in US); decline mid-1990s with internet.
With FIDOnet (1984 by Tom Jennings), BBS's could talk to each other and transfer files and messages through the network. This store-and-forward system used dial-up at night for low-cost exchanges, creating a global email-like system (Fidonet echomail).
Dial-up connectivity via modems and POTS lines democratized access, evolving from timesharing's shared mainframes to personal BBS communities. It laid foundations for the internet, email, and online forums.