Forum Timeline Of Personal Electronic Communications

We’ve came a long way since the 1st computer bulletin board system in the 80’s. Bulletin boards were taken over by Internet forum’s. Then along came Facebook that turned internet forum’s into ghost towns. It’s time to step back and look what has happened to our lives since then, and find new places to hang out online.

The recent revelations that Facebook was mining and selling our personal information to Government and corporations has everyone talking. High profile Facebook users such as Elon Musk has deleted their accounts.


There is no such thing as totally deleting a personal Facebook account. Your account is simply deactivated and marked invisible to all your friends. Signing back in reactivates it. Signing up for Facebook is a life sentence shared with government and advertisers.

Getting back to this posts subject title. It’s now the time to go back and visit some of the forums we once used. Many are still online today, as are many older bulletin board systems (BBS.) Though the Fidonet BBS never graduated from it’s text based beginning which really antiquates its usage (no graphics images or hyperlinks).

Doc’s old Fidonet BBS is still online since 1991 and is accessible here. Use the username and password GUEST to look around without registering.

Doc's Place BBS Telnet Main Menu
Doc’s Place BBS Main Menu in Terminal Mode (Telnet). Note The Internet Menu Option.

Some Internet forum software developers have kept up with the times and offer features similar to Facebook. One example of modern forum software is SimplePress which is a WordPress plugin. Just install their free plugin into an existing WordPress installation and have an instant modern web forum. We run SimplePress here on FidoSysop’s blog. Makes a great combination blog / forum. Check it out.

This forum features a mobile responsive theme that works great on smartphones. Full https encryption. RSS feeds. Private messaging system between members. Forum subscribing to receive email notifications of new posts and replies. Reply by email feature is another great feature of this modern forum software.

Simple:Press Forum WordPress Plugin
Screenshot of FidoSysop’s Simple:Press forum software WordPress plugin.

To sum it all up.. Find places to hang out online that do not require your life’s story to use their service. Your privacy is a right provided by the US Constitution!

Don’t let greedy corporations manipulate you into making them rich by spying on your everyday activities. Turning on your smartphone microphone and listening to your private conversations. Delete your Facebook app to prevent them from listening and downloading your address book and private photos.  😡

Oh well.. As usual.. Just my two cents worth! 😎

Welcome to my tiny slice of cyberspace, my name is Ed 'The Good Internet Doc' Koon, AKA FidoSysop. I'm an original Floridian and former Fidonet BBS Sysop turned net webmaster. I'm saddened that my homeland has turned into a failure and the laughingstock of the world. I blog only the Truth all of us want to hear. Thanks for visiting, and please come back soon! ❤️

Love America? 🇺🇸 Defend Her! 📣