Open Bulletin Board

Warning: Autistically technical explanation.

A Registration-free Bulletin Board System, shortened to Open Bulletin Board, is a type of online discussion platform whose primary characteristic is the ability to interact with the page immediately, in a manner similar to a real Notice Board. Websites using Open BBSs have historically prescinded registration systems and developed posting cultures around user-facing anonimity. However, it should be noted that neither are necessary to build an open bulletin board.

History

Open BBSs developed from the popularity of post-it note style notice boards in Japan's mid 90s web sights. The usage of the term BBS is incorrect, but it was established by the shareware first scripts who advertised themselves as "importing" real BBS UIs to the WWW. They are known to allow low-cost forums to run seamlessly and for being the platforms that pioneered anonymous internet culture. Later developments, the Imageboards, saw the implementation of content ephemerality to get over technical limitations.

As with all digital technical standards, the vast majority of Open BBS scripts represent mere backend or UI changes forked from a few innovative root scripts.

Types

Single Thread BBS

The earliest form of the technology, developed either 1994 or 1995. A glorified comments page with an admin panel slapped on. A single thread that all posts are loaded to. The first scripts distinguished themselves by linking to their reply, forming comment chains.

• [Perl] miniBBS

• [Perl] Kuzuhascript

• [Perl] KuzuhascriptPlus

Threaded BSS

An improvement on the Single Thread BBS first made in 1998, now every post has a subsection for replies. After nearly a decade, Japan can compete with USENET. A transitory format that saw a few adopters, as the leading website, Amezo developed the Floating thread BBS a couple months after adopting the system. Structurally the same as a typical single thread BBS script

• [Perl] resBBS

Floating Thread BBS

First known as "Amezo-style" boards and Textboards in the west, introduced in 1999. A thread 'floats' by being bumped to the first index through replies. Archaic compared to contemporary forums, but it should be noted that western floating thread forums like vBulletin and FUD arrived a year later.

• [Perl] Amezo's resBBS fork
• [Perl] 2channel Script

• [Perl] 0ch

• [PHP] shiichan

• [PHP] world4ch

• [PHP] Kareha

Floating Thread BBS With File Attachments

Also known as the Imageboard, first implemented in 1998. Limitations to the mostly-indie Japanese forum scene saw the first scripts distinguish themselves by enacting thread auto-pruning. This is the point where BBS posting culture absolutely explodes in popularity, crossing the Ocean to the English speaking web and becoming a keystone of Internet Culture.

• [Perl] imgboard
• [PHP] GazouBBS

• [PHP] Futaba

• [PHP] Futallaby

• [PHP] Yotsuba Script

• [PHP] Wakaba

• [PHP] AnonTalk Script

• [PHP] Tinyboard

• [PHP] Vichan