Editing Bulletin board system (section)

==Shareware and freeware==
{{Main|Shareware}}
Much of the [[shareware]] movement was started via user distribution of software through BBSes. A notable example was [[Phil Katz]]'s PKARC (and later [[PKZIP]], using the same ".zip" [[algorithm]] that [[WinZip]] and other popular archivers now use); also other concepts of software distribution like [[freeware]], [[postcardware]] like [[JPEGview]] and [[donationware]] like Red Ryder for the Macintosh first appeared on BBS sites. [[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]] from [[id Software]] and nearly all [[3D Realms|Apogee Software]] games were distributed as shareware. The Internet has largely erased the distinction of shareware{{Snd}}most users now download the software directly from the developer's website rather than receiving it from another BBS user "sharing" it. Today, shareware often refers to electronically distributed software from a small developer.

Many commercial BBS software companies that continue to support their old BBS software products switched to the shareware model or made it entirely free. Some companies were able to make the move to the Internet and provide commercial products with BBS capabilities.