A BBS, or bulletin board system, is a program running on a computer which you can access with a modem. BBSs often let you get programs to use on your computer, exchange messages with other peope, and play games.
BBSs usually serve only a particular city or region. They are a good way to get answers to questions, meet other people and locate programs called shareware which you can use on your computer.
Many BBSs are free, while others charge from $20 to $200 a year for their services. Sometimes companies have BBSs so that their customers can call in with a computer to get information from the company.