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A collection of article clippings about Bahá'í BBSes.

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From: The American Bahá'í, Vol. 21, Issue 7 Date: October 1990 Source:
https://bahai.works/The_American_Bah%C3%A1%E2%80%99%C3%AD/Volume_21/Issue_7/

No two ways about It: National Center’s Bulletin Board system a big success

The National Spiritual Assembly was pleased to announce the implementation
last August of its newly developed electronic bulletin board system, the
Bahá'í National Center Bulletin Board System (BNCBBS).

The system has been serving as a formal electronic communications tool between
the various offices and agencies of the National Assembly and the U.S. Bahá'í
community.

The BNCBBS is based on a computer whose sole purpose is to receive calls from
other personal computers throughout the country, displaying menus from which
users can either collect or leave information and messages.

The system is designed to disseminate news throughout, and to gather
information from, the community. Its intent is also to help facilitate the
achievement of the three main goals of the Six Year Plan: (1) a wider
extension of Bahá'í education to children, youth and adults; (2) the
maturation of local Spiritual Assemblies; and (3) entry by troops.


  wealth of information available on the system. Matters that are not already
  addressed by the prepared textfiles on-line may be handled by users leaving
  messages for the offices and/or agencies on their menus.


  Faith that are on-line (local Assemblies, DTCs, Groups) should be able to
  obtain information (guidance, Feast mailings, _The American Bahá'í_, etc.)
  and disseminate it to all Bahá'ís in their areas, eventually decentralizing
  some of the work done at the Bahá'í National Center.


  will be made possible through a public area on the BBS in the near future.

The following is a summary of significant statistics about the use of the
Baha’i National Center Bulletin Board System since its inception in August
1989 (figures as of June 10, 1990).

Since its official implementation the BNCBBS has received 6,152 calls from
Bahá'ís around the U.S. Its users-group has grown in size from its test-group
of 100 users to 534 users to-date, a 434 percent increase in 10 months of
operation.

On-line surveys of many kinds are available on the system. (Typical surveys
handle address changes, community officer changes, requests for Bahá'í I.D.
cards, supply orders, etc.) More than 305 such surveys have been completed,
allowing immediate and efficient handling of incoming information.

Other BBS activities since August 1989:


  sharing with their Bahá'í communities.


  1,370 times.


  users. 




  389 times.

To access the BNCBBS, users must have a personal computer, a communications
software package, and a 300, 1200 or 2400 baud modem.

The BBS phone number is 708-869-0389, and callers should set their software
parameter settings for N/8/1 (no parity, 8 databits, 1 stop bit). The BNCBBS
will accept calls 24 hours a day.

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From: The American Bahá'í, Vol. 22, Issue 8 Date: August 1991 Source:
https://bahai.works/The_American_Bah%C3%A1%E2%80%99%C3%AD/Volume_21/Issue_7/

National Center's Bulletin Board System serves community

In August 1989 the National Spiritual Assembly introduced its newly developed
electronic National Center Bulletin Board System.

[...]

Since its inception, the BNCBBS has received (as of March 25) 12,942 calls
from Bahá'ís in the U.S. Its users group has grown from 100 to 980, an 880
percent increase in its one and one-half years of operation.

Among those obtaining and exchanging information on the system are 365 members
of local Spiritual Assemblies, 79 members of registered Groups, 40 members of
District Teaching Committees, 150 Public Information Representatives, nine
National Treasurer's Representatives, three members of the National Spiritual
Assembly, one member of the Continental Board of Counselors, seven Auxiliary
Board members and 32 assistants to the Auxiliary Boards.

To access the BNCBBS, users must have a personal computer, a communications
software package, and a 300, 1200 or 2400 baud modem. The BBS phone number is
708-869-0389, and callers should set their software parameter settings at
N/8/1 (No Parity, 8 databits, 1 stop bit). The BNCBBS will accept calls 24
hours a day. 

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From: Computers in the Bahá'í Community through Ridván 1992 Date: 1992 Source:
https://bahai-library.com/deamer_kolins_computers
gemini://gem.bahai.fyi/wayback/computers-1992.txt

"It seems that the first computer bulletin board system (now known by the
 common acronym, BBS), created by a Bahá’í was one set up by Frank Haendel of
 Colorado, USA. Roger Coe describes how "The other night I hooked my modem to
 the telephone, dialed a number, ... watched my computer screen and here is
 what I saw......

    "WELCOME TO A UNIQUE BULLETIN BOARD FOR THINKERS, SEEKERS AND EVERYONE
     ELSE WHO CAN REALIZE THAT WE EXIST WITHIN THE MIDST OF AN INCREDIBLE
     WORKSHOP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR HIGHER NATURE. YOU HAVE JUST
     CONNECTED WITH... ***THE BAHÁ’Í BULLETIN BOARD ***"(Bahá’í Computer and
     Telecommunications Association, newsletter, no. 4 October, 1983. p. 4.) 


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From:   World Order, Series 2, Vol. 30, Issue 2
Date:   Winter 1998-1999
Source: 
https://bahai.works/index.php?title=File:World_Order2_Vol30_Issue2.pdf&page=28


In 1996 “I, Daniel” was available online, Washington, D.C., Bahá’í BBS, (703) 471-6060, file <i-daniel.zip>. It is no longer available in this format.