> what was the cost involved There was a textile with every BBS in Australia. I dialed every single one in my state. Later that month the bill came and it was

> what was the cost involved There was a textile with every BBS in Australia. I dialed every single one in my state. Later that month the bill came and it was over $500 (in 1990s money)... Consequently my dad threw the modem at the wall and it shattered into a million pieces along with my broken heart. > what were the entry barrier for an average person to join Some BBSes had questions to filter applicants, usually seeing how l33t you were. > How similar was it to current social media networks Maybe it was just me as a kid, but for me there was zero social. It was you and someone else's computer. On the very rare occasion, your session may be interrupted by the sysop who either wanted to talk (leading to a racing heart because you didn't want to be found out as a kid) or they just wanted to play Tetris with you. > How big the industry around it actually become This wasn't an industry, most BBSes were run by like-minded people who liked computers.