Searchlight BBS is a bulletin board system (BBS) developed in 1985 by Frank LaRosa for the TRS-80.[2] LaRosa formed a company, Searchlight Software, through which he marketed and sold Searchlight BBS. In 1987, LaRosa expanded the software and sold it as shareware written for the PC in Pascal (using Turbo Pascal).[2] The features of Searchlight BBS included a full screen text editor, a remote DOS shell, and file transfer via the XMODEM protocol. Searchlight BBS rapidly grew in popularity, and appeared frequently in Boardwatch magazine and at BBS conventions across the United States. Eventually, Searchlight BBS supported FidoNet, ZMODEM, Internet e-mail and telnet connectivity.

Searchlight BBS
Original author(s)Frank LaRosa
Developer(s)Searchlight Software (1987–1998); TeleGrafix Communications
Initial release1985
Final release
5.1 / February 6, 1999[1]
Written inMicrosoft Level III BASIC; Turbo Pascal
Operating systemDOS
PlatformIBM PC compatible; TRS-80
Available inEnglish
TypeBulletin board system
LicenseShareware

In 1995 LaRosa began work on Spinnaker Web Server, to compete with Netscape and other web server software. Searchight Software sold Searchlight BBS, along with Spinnaker Web Server, to TeleGrafix Communications in 1998.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Searchlight BBS". telegrafix.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2001. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b First Searchlight BBS
  3. ^ "Archived copy". telegrafix.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2001. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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