Editing Bulletin board system (section)

== Presentation ==
[[File:Neon2.png|thumb|upright=1.1|Welcome screen of Neon#2 BBS (Tornado)]]

BBSes were generally text-based, rather than [[Graphical user interface|GUI]]-based, and early BBSes conversed using the simple [[ASCII]] character set. However, some home computer manufacturers extended the ASCII character set to take advantage of the advanced color and graphics capabilities of their systems. BBS software authors included these extended character sets in their software, and terminal program authors included the ability to display them when a compatible system was called. Atari's native character set was known as [[ATASCII]], while most Commodore BBSes supported [[PETSCII]]. PETSCII was also supported by the nationwide online service [[Quantum Link]].{{efn|Quantum Link and parts of [[AppleLink]] went on to become [[America Online]].}}

The use of these custom character sets was generally incompatible between manufacturers. Unless a caller was using terminal emulation software written for, and running on, the same type of system as the BBS, the session would simply fall back to simple ASCII output. For example, a [[Commodore 64]] user calling an Atari BBS would use ASCII rather than the native character set of either. As time progressed, most terminal programs began using the [[ASCII]] standard, but could use their native character set if it was available.

COCONET, a BBS system made by Coconut Computing, Inc., was released in 1988 and only supported a GUI (no text interface was initially available but eventually became available around 1990), and worked in EGA/VGA graphics mode, which made it stand out from text-based BBS systems. COCONET's bitmap and [[vector graphics]] and support for multiple type fonts were inspired by the [[PLATO system]], and the graphics capabilities were based on what was available in the [[Borland Graphics Interface]] library. A competing approach called [[Remote Imaging Protocol]] (RIP) emerged and was promoted by Telegrafix in the early to mid-1990s but it never became widespread. A [[teletext]] technology called [[NAPLPS]] was also considered, and although it became the underlying graphics technology behind the [[Prodigy (online service)|Prodigy service]], it never gained popularity in the BBS market. There were several GUI-based BBSes on the [[Apple Macintosh]] platform, including [[TeleFinder]] and [[FirstClass]], but these were mostly confined to the Mac market.

In the UK, the [[BBC Micro]] based OBBS software, available from [[Pace Micro Technology|Pace]] for use with their modems, optionally allowed for color and graphics using the [[Teletext]] based graphics mode available on that platform. Other systems used the [[Viewdata]] protocols made popular in the UK by [[British Telecom]]'s [[Prestel]] service, and the on-line magazine [[Micronet800|Micronet 800]] whom were busy giving away modems with their subscriptions.

Over time, terminal manufacturers started to support [[ANSI X3.64]] in addition to or instead of proprietary terminal control codes, e.g., color, cursor positioning.

The most popular form of online graphics was [[ANSI art]], which combined the [[Extended ASCII|IBM Extended ASCII]] character set's blocks and symbols with [[ANSI X3.64|ANSI]] [[escape sequence]]s to allow changing colors on demand, provide cursor control and screen formatting, and even basic musical tones. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, most BBSes used ANSI to make elaborate welcome screens, and colorized menus, and thus, ANSI support was a sought-after feature in terminal client programs. The development of ANSI art became so popular that it spawned an entire BBS "[[artscene]]" [[subculture]] devoted to it.
[[File:Koala Country BBS Login Screen.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|BBS ANSI Login Screen example]]

The [[Amiga]] ''Skyline BBS'' software in 1988 featured a script [[markup language]] communication protocol called [[Skypix]]<ref name="atrterm">
{{cite web
 | url = http://discmaster.textfiles.com/view/11573/FishNMoreVol1.bin/more/telecom/demoterm/demoterm.arc/AtrTerm.DOC
 | type       = Software documentation
 | title      = AtrTerm.DOC
 | author     = Michael Cox
 | date       = 1989-05-24
 | accessdate = 2024-05-02
 | quote      = "Skypix is a way of sending graphics, fonts, brushes, and (soon) sound samples over the phone line via modem.  It is an extension of ANSI that takes advantage of the Amiga's graphic power. ... At this writing (May 24) most of the systems listed will still be running Atredes 1.0, a much less sophisticated system than 1.1. ... ATREDES, SKYPIX, and SKYPAINT are Copyright © 1988, 1989 Michael Cox.  All rights reserved worldwide."
}}</ref> which was capable of giving the user a complete graphical interface, featuring rich graphics, changeable fonts, mouse-controlled actions, animations and sound.<ref name=Skyline>{{Cite web
 | title = An Overview of BBS Programs
 | url = http://www.bbsdocumentary.com/software/expanded.html
 | publisher=[[Jason Scott Sadofsky|Jason Scott]]
 | author=Scott Lee 
 | quote="Skyline BBS, for the Amiga, was originally marketed under the name 'Atredes BBS'. ... It was, BTW, cool software which allowed for plain text, ANSI graphics, as well as a proprietary graphical point and click 'SkyPix' UI using special terminal software ('SkyTerm')."
 | accessdate = 5 December 2017}}</ref>

Today{{when|date=September 2024}}, most BBS software that is still actively supported, such as Worldgroup, [[Wildcat! BBS]] and [[Citadel/UX]], is Web-enabled, and the traditional text interface has been replaced (or operates concurrently) with a Web-based user interface. For those more nostalgic for the true BBS experience, one can use NetSerial (Windows) or [[DOSBox]] (Windows/*nix) to redirect DOS COM port software to telnet, allowing them to connect to Telnet BBSes using 1980s and 1990s era modem [[terminal emulator|terminal emulation]] software, like [[Telix]], [[Terminate (software)|Terminate]], [[Qmodem]] and [[Procomm Plus]]. Modern 32-bit terminal emulators such as mTelnet and [[Synchronet#SyncTerm|SyncTerm]] include native telnet support.