BBS-related podcasts

You've seen the BBS Documentary. You've read reminiscences about BBSing on blogs and tech websites. So how about something to listen to?

A number of podcasters have tackled BBSing or BBS door games. I have collected a list of different podcast episodes that deal with these topics. If you want to suggest additional episodes, please contact me.

I try to link to the official websites for each podcast series, but some of the official sites have gone offline. In those cases, I link to an archived copy of the site on the Wayback Machine. In cases where I have permission or the license allows it, I am hosting a mirror copy of the MP3s.

The podcasts

"All Things Considered"

Host: NPR

Official site: https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/

Summary: NPR's morning show occasionally tackles topics of retrocomputing interest.

Episode Title/Description MP3s 11/21/2009 "The 'Wild And Woolly' World Of Bulletin Boards" These days, if you want to find a fling, a friend or a cheap used sofa, you might check out craigslist. But decades before Craig Newmark posted his first list, computer users all over the country were connecting through electronic bulletin boards. Official

"Electric Dreams - BBS Podcast"

Host: Mike Whalen and Jeff Salzman

Official site: http://www.edbbspodcast.com/ (archived)

Unedited/unpublished interviews: Archive.org

Summary: "This monthly podcast is dedicated to the nostalgia, news, opinions, interviews, tips and passion about BBSs. We talk to the callers. We interview the SysOps. We highlight the technologies. It's all about that stuff you heard about that 'pre-dates the Internet.' Except, It's still here! Come along!"

"Carrier Whistle"

Host: Rich Lawrence

Official site: http://amigaz.org/category/carrier-whistle/ (archived)

Summary: "Remember the old days of dial up BBSes? Remember when 28.8Kbps was blazing fast? The Carrier Whistle is YOUR podcast about the old school BBSes of Yesterday and Today! The Producers of the Amiga Roundtable podcast take you back in time and show you some new things happening in the scene today!"

Episode Title/Description MP3s 0 A promo to give an idea of what the podcast is going to be all about. BiC mirror 1 The inaugural episode, with ideas for promoting your board. BiC mirror 2 Guest: Drew Alexander, sysop of Window of Illusion BBS; Fidonet and other networks; Telnet clients BiC mirror 3 Old scene: where to play TradeWars; New scene: set up a WiFi hotspot for a BBS; BBS spotlight: Mars Den BBS BiC mirror 4 Old scene: ANSI and ASCII art; New scene: the BBS Wiki; BBS spotlight: Prison Board Coming soon 5 "It all starts anew" New co-host: Mike Leach; Old scene: Textfiles; New scene: Internet Relay Chat (IRC); BBS spotlight: Mac Citadel BiC mirror 6 "Heff gets huffy" Co-host: Mike Leach; Old scene: Rusty and Edie's BBS; New scene: Hotline and KDX; BBS spotlight: Lightning BBS BiC mirror 7 "It's Frank 'eh" Guest: Frank Linhares; Frank talks about his BBSes: Diskshop and Misery. BiC mirror 8 "Mobilize" Co-host: Mike Leach; BBS clients for iOS and mobile phones; Spotlight BBS: Hysteria Coming soon

"This Old Net"

Host: Donovan Adkisson

Official site: http://adkissondigital.com/thisoldnet/ (currently offline)

Summary: "This Old Net is a podcast that focuses on a bygone era that predates the commercial Internet. Yes, my friends, I'm talking about the heyday of the Bulletin Board System or BBS for short."

"Retrobits"

Host: Earl Evans

Official site: http://www.retrobits.com

Summary: "Old school computing, modern day fun. If it's got 8 bits, paper tape, punch cards, cartridge slots, CP/M, BASIC in ROM, or if it's just plain old, then you've found the right podcast."

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License

"The Bobby Blackwolf Show"

Host: Bobby Blackwolf

Official site: http://www.bobbyblackwolf.com and http://www.vognetwork.com/the-bobby-blackwolf-show/

Summary: "A weekly internet radio show and podcast discussing the latest news in video games as told by the gamers themselves."

"The Online Gamer's Anthology"

Host: Jonathan Morris

Official site: http://www.virginworlds.com/podcast.php?show=11 (Plus: Internet Archive collection)

Summary: "A podcast that focused on massively-multiplayer online games of the past and the games that influenced the genre."

Episode Title/Description MP3s 3 "Episode 3" In this episode, Morris looks back at computer BBSes, and the great games that were played on them. Internet Archive

BiC mirror

"Open Apple"

Hosts: Mike Maginnis and Ken Gagne

Official site: http://www.open-apple.net

Summary: "The first and only co-hosted podcast dedicated to the Apple II."

License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.

"Retronauts"

Hosts: Jeremy Parish, Ben Elgin and Benj Edwards

Official site: https://retronauts.com/

Summary: "The original classic gaming podcasts continues its endless quest to explore the history of video games."

Episode Title/Description MP3s 164 "Online Pioneer Days & Mailbag" A potpourri of topics as Ben Elgin and Benj Edwards talk Jeremy through the early days of dial-up gaming and BBS madness. Official

"Nerdy by Nature"

Hosts: Elijah, Nathan, and Chris

Official site: http://www.letusgetnerdy.com/ (defunct)

Summary: "Canadian nerds that live to expand your mind."

Episode Title/Description MP3s 1/6/2017 "Intro to Bulletin Board Systems" Jamie and Elijah learn from Chris as he visits an old school bulletin board system from 25 years ago. Podbean 1/13/2017 "Let's Play Some Door Games!" Text-based adventuring. Two huge door games LORD and BRE. We "dial" into a BBS and play some door games. Podbean

"Day in Tech History"

Host: Jeffrey Powers

Official site: http://www.dayintechhistory.com/

Summary: "The Podcast runs down all aspects of technology history, along with some geek and science history."

"The e-Learning Lingo Podcast"

Host: Mary Kay Lofurno

Official site: http://www.syberworks.com/lingo_podcast.htm

Summary: "Each week, the e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series discusses one or two important terms used in the e-Learning industry."

Episode Title/Description MP3s 30 "The Bulletin Board System" In this very short podcast, David Powell defines the term "bulletin board system." Official

BiC mirror

Want more?

See some of Break Into Chat's other special collections.

Interested in BBSing, door games, or retrocomputing? Check out the Break Into Chat BBS wiki or the blog.