There was a time before the Internet. It was a time of point-to-point connections via dial-up telephone lines. Computer users used modems to connect to bulletin board systems (BBS) worldwide. The BBS was the hub for early online communities, for games, friendships and file-sharing among computer enthusiasts. Looking back, many aspects of what used to be common knowledge is slowly fading. What is a Terminal? What is Telnet? How would you connect a modem via RS-232? ASCII Art, Baud and Handshakes? Getting started with the subject can be difficult: terms are unknown, concepts are only vaguely familiar, or technical abbreviations difficult to decipher. Do I still need a dial-up modem, today? This Micropolis Handbook is a collection of short articles, meant as a quick-start guide on bulletin board systems (BBS) and dial-up networking. A practical guide for anyone who wants to connect a modem to a computer and learn about the fascination world of old-school analog data transmission. A
