Computer Communications Before the Internet PreInternet Networks and

Computer Communications Before the Internet

Pre-Internet Networks and Protocols: Usenet “Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea -- massive, difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind-boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it. “ – Eugene Spafford • • Usenet was developed to allow regular users to transfer files, email and view documents via the Unix to Unix Copy Protocol (UUCP) Connections were made via dial-up modem or packet switched network connection No centralized server, users hosted the news groups and articles Cost of entry was reduced because of the distributed nature of the network Communicated with multiple BBS’ via Fidonet Usenet is one of the direct progenitors of the World Wide Web Usenet News. Groups are still active today and have a large userbase The layout and content of Usenet influenced the early WWW to a great degree • AOL, MSN and most other early dial-up ISP’s made their login page look similar to a Usenet page

Pre-Internet Networks and Protocols: Bulletin Board System Through their huge success, Usenet and BBS showed that people wanted to use the computer as an entertainment and communication device. They paved the way for the World Wide Web and Internet we have today. • • • Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) were developed to allow users to connect to file storage, message boards and email remotely Connections were made via dial-up modem and later via the Internet Connecting via modem was expensive if the server was out of the local area, so most BBS’s supported local communities BBS were direct progenitors of the World Wide Web Online gaming can trace its roots to BBS and the many multiplayer strategy and role playing games available

Sources • Cover photo: http: //gomi 321. com/photos/random-items/ • Spafford quote: http: //spaf. cerias. purdue. edu/quotes. html • Development history: http: //www. internetsociety. org/internet/whatinternet/history-internet/brief-history-internet • Usenet history: http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Usenet#Network • BBS: http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Bulletin_board_system • UUCP: http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Uucp