RIP "Ward Christensen"

Ward Christensen - 1945/10/23 - 2024/10/11 (78 years) Ward Christensen was a pioneer whose contributions laid the foundation for much of the online world we know today. His passing on October 11, 2024, marks the loss of a visionary who, alongside Randy Suess, helped create the first bulletin board system (BBS), a groundbreaking innovation that connected people in ways never before imagined. Back in 1978, when the idea of communicating with others via a computer was still in its infancy, Ward Christensen and Randy Suess saw an opportunity to leverage their technical knowledge to build something transformative. They created the CBBS, or Computerised Bulletin Board System, in Chicago during a particularly harsh winter. That vision not only pioneered what would eventually evolve into today’s online forums, message boards, and social media platforms but also helped foster a sense of community among early computer enthusiasts.