@driscollkevinTheBirthoftheModemWorld2022
Reference¶
Driscoll, Kevin. 2022 “The Birth of the Modem World.” Slate, September 7 https://slate.com/technology/2022/09/modem-world-bbs-internet-history.html.
Summary & Key Take Aways¶
The modem world of the 1980s was an important part of the history of the internet, providing an early model of what an online community could look like and a set of technical protocols for connecting computers over long distances. It was driven by hobbyists, entrepreneurs, and activists who used personal computers connected via dial-up modems to create early online communities. This created an alternative to ARPANET which was created by professional researchers in university and government labs. The predominant form of PC networking was the bulletin board system (BBS), hosted on off-the-shelf microcomputers running homebuilt software. To bring users from different regions together, FidoNet was developed - an international network of BBSs that allowed users to send messages to each other across long distances without incurring long-distance charges. This enabled users to access discussion forums, software archives, and “CB simulator” chat channels on different systems. The modem world was also home to some of the first experiments in digital activism and online civil society where people learned to negotiate boundaries between public and private space as well as creating virtual communities with their own norms and conventions. This history is important for understanding how we got here and provides insight into how we might build healthier online communities that are more just, equitable, and inclusive.