The Matrix: Difference between revisions
m (America Online moved to America On-Line) |
(Did I mention the BBS project I was working on just before I came on board Bhamwiki?) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''America On-Line''' was a [[Birmingham]]-based bulletin board system launched in [[1985]] by [[Rocky Rawlins]] and [[Tom Egan]]. | '''America On-Line''' was a [[Birmingham]]-based computer bulletin board system launched in [[1985]] by [[Rocky Rawlins]] and [[Tom Egan]]. Initially a hobby project, it grew to become Birmingham's largest BBS. | ||
Originally unnamed, what became America On-Line started as "a bare motherboard sitting on a magazine with a 10 meg drive and a 300 baud modem attached" running custom-written software (Rawlins, 2006). As people discovered the number and began calling and leaving messages, Rawlins expanded the system. Eventually the system was converted to use PCBoard software after it was commercially released. | |||
It was then that Rawlins came up with the America On-Line name, because the BBS had users from across the country. Rawlins and Egan had the foresight to register the name as a trademark. The system allowed free public access for up to 30 minutes per day, enticing enough paying subscribers to make the operation pay for itself. | |||
The system had expanded to five phone lines when Rawlins got a call in [[1989]] from Quantum Computer Services in Virginia, which was developing a commercial online system. The company wanted to buy the rights to the America On-Line name and offered payment plus stock. Given the volatility in the online market at the time, Rawlins opted for a purely monetary settlement, selling the name for $10,000–15,000. He then invested that money in the BBS by using it to expand and upgrade it. A poll was held among users to give the system a new name, with "[[The Matrix]]" being the winner. The BBS changed its name in November 1989. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
* Maisel, Mark (November 1992) "[http://www.textfiles.com/magazines/BTN/btn052.txt The BBS: Business or Hobby?]" ''Birmingham Telecommunications News''. Vol. 5, No. 10 | * Maisel, Mark. (November 1992). "[http://www.textfiles.com/magazines/BTN/btn052.txt The BBS: Business or Hobby?]" ''[[Birmingham Telecommunications News]]''. Vol. 5, No. 10. ISSN 1055-4548. | ||
* Rawlins, Rocky. (May 18, 2006). Personal communication. | |||
[[Category:Bulletin board systems]] | [[Category:Bulletin board systems]] | ||
[[Category:1985 establishments]] | [[Category:1985 establishments]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:1989 disestablishments]] | ||
Revision as of 14:04, 5 August 2011
America On-Line was a Birmingham-based computer bulletin board system launched in 1985 by Rocky Rawlins and Tom Egan. Initially a hobby project, it grew to become Birmingham's largest BBS.
Originally unnamed, what became America On-Line started as "a bare motherboard sitting on a magazine with a 10 meg drive and a 300 baud modem attached" running custom-written software (Rawlins, 2006). As people discovered the number and began calling and leaving messages, Rawlins expanded the system. Eventually the system was converted to use PCBoard software after it was commercially released.
It was then that Rawlins came up with the America On-Line name, because the BBS had users from across the country. Rawlins and Egan had the foresight to register the name as a trademark. The system allowed free public access for up to 30 minutes per day, enticing enough paying subscribers to make the operation pay for itself.
The system had expanded to five phone lines when Rawlins got a call in 1989 from Quantum Computer Services in Virginia, which was developing a commercial online system. The company wanted to buy the rights to the America On-Line name and offered payment plus stock. Given the volatility in the online market at the time, Rawlins opted for a purely monetary settlement, selling the name for $10,000–15,000. He then invested that money in the BBS by using it to expand and upgrade it. A poll was held among users to give the system a new name, with "The Matrix" being the winner. The BBS changed its name in November 1989.
References
- Maisel, Mark. (November 1992). "The BBS: Business or Hobby?" Birmingham Telecommunications News. Vol. 5, No. 10. ISSN 1055-4548.
- Rawlins, Rocky. (May 18, 2006). Personal communication.