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Bulletin board

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A bulletin board is a surface used for posting messages.

Drawing of a country store by Marguerite Martyn
Drawing of a country store by Marguerite Martyn

People use them to share news with others. They might advertise items for sale or announce events. You can also find official notices on these boards. They are very common at many large universities.

infinite-corridor-bboard
infinite-corridor-bboard

Students and groups use them to stay informed. They help keep a community connected through shared information.

These boards work in several different ways. Many are made of cork to make pinning easy. You can stick a tack into cork to hold a note. Some boards also have a writing surface. A combination board might have a whiteboard or a blackboard.

Other boards use magnets instead of pins. Magnetic boards are popular because they do not wear out. Cork can deteriorate when you use pins too much. Magnets allow you to move messages without damaging the board.

Bulletin boards have a very long history. In the 5th century BC, Ancient Athens had official boards. They used white boards called leukomata for temporary news. These notices included lists of laws or mobilization lists.

Ancient Rome also used similar white boards for notices. During the Middle Ages, people used church doors. These doors acted as community boards when paper was available. This shows that people have always needed ways to share news.

Many inventors helped create the boards we use today. In 1801, James Pillans invented the first modern blackboard. In 1925, George Brooks patented a corkboard for use with tacks. His patent expired in 1941, so many people could make them.

George E. Fox patented a foam rubber board in 1940. In 1959, W.F. Lewis patented a board that combined a chalkboard and a pinboard. These inventions helped bulletin boards become common in offices and homes.

Today, bulletin boards have moved into the digital world.

You can find them on computer networks as bulletin board systems. These are often called message boards or internet forums. They allow people to share messages from any location. In 2010, Ben Silbermann and others founded Pinterest for online sharing. Digital signage also helps reduce clutter in public places. These new tools still serve the same purpose as old boards.

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File:infinite-corridor-bboard.jpeg
infinite-corridor-bboard.jpeg
File:Drawing of a country store by Marguerite Martyn.jpg
Drawing of a country store by Marguerite...
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