Net-Works II is a

bulletin board system A bulletin board system (BBS), also called a computer bulletin board service (CBBS), is a computer server running list of BBS software, software that allows users to connect to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, the user perfor ...

software package written by Nick Naimo for the

Apple II Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed ...

. It was originally published in the early 1980s. For a time it was the most popular bulletin board system software for the Apple II, out of the dozen or so released.

Development and history

Nick Naimo (born 1945 in New York City) developed Net-Works II independently in the early 1980s as a member of Computer Station, a bulletin board system, BBS provider based in Missouri. He split amicably from Computer Station to work full-time for Advanced Data Systems, a start-up software developer in

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

, Missouri, who developed exclusively for the

. Version 2.2 of Net-Works was released by the company in June 1982. While working at Advanced Data Systems, Naimo also served as city councilman for the suburb of Maplewood, Missouri. Naimo quit Advanced Data Systems sometime in 1982 to work for the IT department of a printing press in St. Louis before relocating in Newburgh, Indiana, to work for Better Business Computers & Systems, a computer store and software publisher based in nearby

Vincennes Vincennes (; ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Vincennes is famous for its castle: the Château de Vincennes. It is next to but does not include the ...

. Net-Works II was one of several applications Naimo wrote for Advanced Data Systems; others included a accounting program for small businesses and an inventory program for retailers. A year after its introduction, Advanced Data Systems transferred the publishing rights for Net-Works II to High Technology Software Products of

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

, Oklahoma. High Technology Software continued selling Net-Works II into the late 1980s.

Features

Features of Net-Works II include: *

Text-based user interface In computing, text-based user interfaces (TUI) (alternately terminal user interfaces, to reflect a dependence upon the properties of computer terminals and not just text), is a retronym describing a type of user interface (UI) common as an ear ...

* Individual usernames and passwords * Message boards, called ''forums'' * Support for the Thunderware ThunderClock and compatible cards * Chat mode between the

sysop A sysop (, an abbreviation of system operator) is an administrator of a multi-user computer system, such as a bulletin board system (BBS) or an online service virtual community.Jansen, E. & James, V. (2002). NetLingo: the Internet dictionary. Ne ...

and user * Administrative tools *

Applesoft BASIC Applesoft BASIC is a dialect of Microsoft BASIC, developed by Marc McDonald and Ric Weiland, supplied with Apple II computers. It supersedes Integer BASIC and is the BASIC in Read-only memory, ROM in all Apple II series computers after the ori ...

Integer BASIC Integer BASIC is a BASIC interpreter written by Steve Wozniak for the Apple I and Apple II computers. Originally available on Cassette tape, cassette for the Apple I in 1976, then included in Read-only memory, ROM on the Apple II from its release ...

, and binary program downloading

Reception and popularity

Net-Works II received a rave review in ''

InfoWorld ''InfoWorld'' (''IW'') is an American information technology media business. Founded in 1978, it began as a monthly magazine. In 2007, it transitioned to a Web-only publication. Its parent company is International Data Group, and its sister pu ...

'', with John Prather writing that the "combination of the personal computer and software such as Net-Works II may well be responsible for a phenomenon that will be the 80s equivalent of the

CB radio Citizens band radio (CB radio) is a land mobile radio system, a system allowing short-distance one-to-many bidirectional voice communication among individuals, using two-way radios operating near 27 MHz (or the 11-m wavelength) in the high freq ...

of the 70s". He gave top marks to the software's performance, error handling, and ease of use, calling it "an extremely easy-to-use program, both from the standpoint of the sysop and of system users". Author Dean Gengle in his book ''The Netweaver's Sourcebook'' (1984) called Net-Works II "the best general-purpose bulletin board system" for the Apple II family. The software package by the mid-1980s was a massive success, with the 1986 edition of

Stewart Brand Stewart Brand (born December 14, 1938) is an American project developer and writer, best known as the co-founder and editor of the ''Whole Earth Catalog''. He has founded a number of organizations, including the WELL, the Global Business Networ ...

's ''

Whole Earth Software Catalog ''The Whole Earth Software Catalog'' and ''The Whole Earth Software Review'' (1984–1985) were two publications produced by Stewart Brand's '' Point Foundation'' as an extension of the ''Whole Earth Catalog''. Overview Fred Turner discusses th ...

'' calling it "the most popular of nearly a dozen Apple II bulletin board programs". In July 1984, roughly sixty BBSes were running Net-Works II, according to ''

Softalk ''Softalk'' () was an American magazine of the early 1980s that focused on the Apple II computer. Published from September 1980 through August 1984, it featured articles about hardware and software associated with the Apple II platform and the p ...

''. Writer Matt Yuen wrote that the quality of the Net-Works-based BBSes varied greatly. The gambling personality Jerry L. Patterson opened a BBS running Net-Works II out of

South Jersey South Jersey, also known as Southern New Jersey, comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located between Pennsylvania and the lower Delaware River to its west, the Atlantic Ocean to its east, Delaware to its south, ...

in March 1984.

References

{{reflist 1980s introductions Apple II software Bulletin board system software

Development and history

Features

Reception and popularity

See also

References