Sezam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This is article about a BBS. See also Sezam (book) for a 1955 book by Stanisław Lem.
Sezam, the cult BBS in former Yugoslavia.
Sezam BBS was founded on November 11 1989 as one of many one phone line / night only Bulletin Board Systems in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Contrary to many BBS systems dedicated to file download, Sezam focused on conferences. The original BBS software, specially developed by Sezam's founders, Zoran Zivotic and Dejan Ristanovic, enabled users to share their comments about computers, education, sports, politics...
Within months Sezam had several thousands users and evolved into a subscription-based systems using 3 phone lines. During the following years it grew to 6, 8, 10 and finally 15 phone lines. Tens of thousands users from former Yugoslavia used Sezam to communicate and exchange opinions on various subjects. During the media blockade imposed by Milosevic's regime, Sezam was one of very few free media in Serbia.
In 1995 Sezam BBS evolved to SezamPro and become the influential Internet providing system in Serbia. Old BBS system, with more then million messages in the database, still exists (telnet sezampro.yu) as the monument to the stormy 1990's in Yugoslavia.
[edit] External links
- SezamPro Web page (in Serbian)
- Wired magazine article about Sezam (in English), by David S. Bennahum
- The early days of Sezam by one of its founders (in English)
