Dev Log
Building The Exchange — a modern, real-time, federated BBS with a custom scripting language called Phosphor. This is the dev log: what’s being built, why, and what’s next.
Posts are added weekly as features come online. No marketing — just engineering.
The Big Idea
The internet was supposed to be decentralized. It isn’t. The Exchange brings back the BBS — a place you visit on purpose, not a feed that comes to you — with modern engineering and a custom DSL for live customization.
What to Expect
- Weekly updates as each phase of Phosphor implementation completes
- Code snippets showing how features work
- Architecture deep-dives when major components ship
- Honest status — what works, what doesn’t, what’s next
Timeline
| Phase | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Declarative Layer (MVP) | In Progress |
| 2 | Event Handlers + Reactivity Core | Planned |
| 3 | Custom Screens + Declarative UI | Planned |
| 4 | Door Games | Planned |
| 5 | In-BBS Phosphor Editor | Planned |
| 6 | Java Extension API + Dual Runtime | Planned |
| 7a | Testing Framework + JUnit + Coverage | Planned |
| 7b | Web API + Bidirectional WebSocket | Planned |
| 7c | Federation + Sync Protocol | Planned |
| 7d | Preferences System | Planned |
| 7e | User Sandbox + Rate Limiting | Planned |
| 7f | ANSI Art, Marketplace, Achievements, AI, Calendar | Planned |
33 tasks total. Sequential. Each phase gated by tests and user approval. Quality over speed.
- July 30, 2026
Building the Phosphor Parser — Week 1 Dev Log
The first phase of Phosphor implementation is underway. Here’s what’s happening and why it matters.
The Problem
Every BBS system has the …
- July 30, 2026
Why I'm Building a BBS in 2026
I ran a BBS when I was younger. This was before the web — you’d dial in on a modem, read messages, play games, chat with people in your town. It …