Ward Christensen, co-creator of the computer bulletin board system (BBS), passed away at the age of 78 in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. He was discovered at his home on Friday following a wellness check requested by concerned friends. In 1978, Christensen, alongside Randy Suess, launched the world’s first BBS in Chicago, marking the beginning of a transformative era in digital community-building that laid the foundation for much of today’s online world.
During the 1980s and 1990s, BBSes introduced home computer users to multiplayer gaming, message boards, and online communities, at a time when the Internet was still limited to academia and science. This platform also gave rise to the shareware scene, paving the way for future gaming giants like Epic Games.
Those who knew Christensen describe him as modest and reserved, a visionary who never sought personal fame despite the significance of his contributions. He spent much of his career at IBM, remaining content and without regret as the Internet took shape, even as his work became the bedrock of digital communication. “Ward was the quietest, kindest, and gentlest person,” recalled Jason Scott, creator of BBS: The Documentary, in an interview with Ars Technica. Scott, who interviewed Christensen in 2002 for the project, remarked, “He was exactly as you’d expect—like a gardener quietly tending his yard.”
Tech expert Lauren Weinstein shared the news of Christensen’s passing on Sunday, later confirmed by a close friend who said he likely passed overnight between October 10 and 11. Police were called for a wellness check after friends had not heard from him for several days. The official cause of death has not yet been announced.
Beyond his pioneering role with BBSes, Christensen also developed XMODEM in 1977, a file transfer protocol that made the BBS ecosystem possible. XMODEM allowed binary files to be broken into packets and transmitted reliably over noisy analog phone lines, inspiring future protocols that enabled early online file sharing to thrive.
Source: Ward Christensen, BBS inventor and architect of our online age, dies at age 78
During the 1980s and 1990s, BBSes introduced home computer users to multiplayer gaming, message boards, and online communities, at a time when the Internet was still limited to academia and science. This platform also gave rise to the shareware scene, paving the way for future gaming giants like Epic Games.
Those who knew Christensen describe him as modest and reserved, a visionary who never sought personal fame despite the significance of his contributions. He spent much of his career at IBM, remaining content and without regret as the Internet took shape, even as his work became the bedrock of digital communication. “Ward was the quietest, kindest, and gentlest person,” recalled Jason Scott, creator of BBS: The Documentary, in an interview with Ars Technica. Scott, who interviewed Christensen in 2002 for the project, remarked, “He was exactly as you’d expect—like a gardener quietly tending his yard.”
Tech expert Lauren Weinstein shared the news of Christensen’s passing on Sunday, later confirmed by a close friend who said he likely passed overnight between October 10 and 11. Police were called for a wellness check after friends had not heard from him for several days. The official cause of death has not yet been announced.
Beyond his pioneering role with BBSes, Christensen also developed XMODEM in 1977, a file transfer protocol that made the BBS ecosystem possible. XMODEM allowed binary files to be broken into packets and transmitted reliably over noisy analog phone lines, inspiring future protocols that enabled early online file sharing to thrive.
Source: Ward Christensen, BBS inventor and architect of our online age, dies at age 78
