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POLICY.TXT
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GENIUSnet EchoMail Systems - Policies And Network Goals As Of April 1st, 1993
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part I - Network Overview
---------------------------
GENIUSnet EchoMail Systems [hereafter refered to as Gnet] is a product of the
joint efforts of many bulletin board systems. Gnet maintains a general interest
range of conferences where discussions on a wide variety of topics occur,
ranging from computer specific [Pascal, Operating Systems, Qmodem Support] to
non-computer related areas [Free Speech, Movies And Videos, Music].
Our goal is simple: To allow users of bulletin board systems in any location to
communicate ideas and opinions openly with others with similar interests.
To this end we have divided the network into topic-specific conferences, as
stated above. Each conference is moderated by a Conference Moderator, appointed
by the Network Host, which will be discussed later. Moderators are users who
have been granted authority within their appointed conference and are
responsible for maintain the topics under discussion in their conference.
Part II - Breakdown Of GENIUSnet's Routing System
--------------------------------------------------
Gnet's method of message distribution is broken down into several areas, those
being:
INTERNATION ECHO COORDINATOR - The focal point of mail distribution. The IEC is
Darryl L. Pierce, System Operator of The Vampyre Bar! BBS, located in
Worcester, Massachusettes, USA.
ZONE ECHO COORDINATOR - Similar in responsibility and authority to the IEC,
a ZEC is the focal point of message distribution for his/her particular
zone (country) within the network. Zone hosts perform mail runs solely
with either the IEC or a designated Zone Gateway.
ZONE GATEWAY - A special site who performs gateway calls between two different
zones within the network.
REGIONAL ECHO COORDINATOR - The next level down within the network infra-
structure. An REC performs outgoing mailruns only with their ZEC. An REC
has resposibility for a particular portion of their zone (ie, multiple
states or territories).
NETWORK ECHO COORDINATOR - The main distribution point for a particular state
or portion of a state (ie, areacode for larger states). The NEC is directly
responsible for the nodes who carry the network in their area. NECs perform
mailruns directly with their RECs and are the main distribution sites for
all systems within their area.
NETWORK HUB - A special site that distributes mail to systems in their local
calling area. A hub system must gain approval from their REC before allowing
other systems to poll their system for network mail.*
NETWORK NODE - All BBSs within the network are cosidered a node, whether they
perform another duty within the network (NEC, REC, etc...). But, as used in
this context, a node is a BBS within the network that does have another
system that performs mailruns off of them. Nodes call either their NEC or
an approved Network Hub for mailruns.
Gnet is broken down into this heirarchy to defer long distance toll charges
that would normally be present without a specialized distribution system. This
system also improves the speed with which messages are distributed throughout
the network.
* - Since the advent of offline mail doors and other methods of reading mail
offline, points are globally disallowed within Gnet.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIGURE1.1 - Network Layout
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NETWORK (or ZONE) HOST
│
REC
│
┌───────────────────┴───────────────────┐
NEC NEC NEC
┌───────┴──────┐ │ │
HUB HUB │ │
│ │ │ HUB
┌────┌────┘ ┌───┌─────┌┘ │ │
NODE │ NODE NODE │ │ ┌───┬───┬───┴───┬───┬───┐
│ NODE ┌──────┘ NODE NODE NODE NODE NODE NODE
NODE HUB
┌────────┴──────────────┐
┌──┴───┐ │
NODE NODE │
┌───────┴─────┐
NODE NODE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[NOTE: This layout describes the routing for one Region and three Networks.]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part III - Breakdown Of GENIUSnet's Council
-------------------------------------------
PRESIDENT - The position of President is a "lifetime" position held by the IEC,
Darryl L. Pierce, founder of GENIUSnet EchoMail Systems. All final decisions
concerning the administration of the network are ratified by this position.
VICE PRESIDENT - The Vice President is responsible solely to the President of
the network. Duties include dissemination of networks rules and direct over-
seeing of the Steering Committe. The Vice President of Gnet is Scott Boerke.
STEERING COMMITTEE - The Steering Committee is a group of dedicated network
system operators who lend a guiding hand to the actual day to day activities
of the network. Currently, the NSC consists of the following subcommittees:
o Administration - (Chairman, Michael Nelson @ 100:609/1) - This committee
handles the dissemination of network policies. Any questions concerning
actual interpretations and decisions concerning the policies of the net-
work are handled by this committee.
o Network Conferences - (Chairman, None currently) - This committee is
responsible for maintaining the quality and integrity of the echoed
conferences. They also oversee the moderators and ensure that each
conference is moderated.
o Recruitment - (Chairman, Darryl L. Pierce @ 100:100/0) - This committe
finds new ways of attracting new nodes into the network. They also
maintain a close relationship with the Administration subcommittee to
ensure that network policies are maintained while approving new nodes into
the network. This committee consists mainly of RECs.
MODERATOR - A Moderator is any person responsible for maintaining the quality,
course and subject of any message within the network. A Moderator answers to
the Council. Moderators are empowered to request that any user who causes a
problem within their appointed conference be removed from that conference by
the SysOp of the user's BBS.
Part IV - Network Policies
---------------------------
Although Gnet is not a "politically-intense" network, we do have policies and
guidelines which must be conformed to. These guidelines are for the benefit of
the users and for the protection of the network participants.
1...There are no provisions for private or confidential messages in Gnet. All
messages are public, except for certain conferences which are declared as
PRIVATE, where messages are for the reading of members of that conference,
pursuant to The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986. All SysOps
within Gnet have access to read any message declared private by the author.
2...All users are to be verified, either by voice, post card, call-back doors,
or any other means the SysOp feels will ensure that the user is who they
say they are, before being granted access to post messages within Gnet.
This protects the network from being abused by users who would post
abusive messages under an assumed name.
3...ANSI messages are to be confined to the ANSI ART conference. Some users
calling network BBSs may not be capable of supporting ANSI commands,
and the abuse of ANSI would not be to their advantage. Also, the use of
ANSI signatures is globally disallowed.
4...BBS advertisements may be posted only within the BBS ADS conference and
only at a rate of once every seven (7) days.
5...Abusive language, profanity and personal attacks are, without exception,
banned from Gnet. Within the network, people of all ages participate in
the conferences. Sensitive users would not appreciate being subjected to
profanity or abusive language, and personal attacks and insults are not
productive. Any user who breaks this rule will be warned once. Any further
infringements upon this rule will result in their removal from that
network conference globally.
a...Personal attacks now include verbal attacks made on the Network itself
as well as the users within the network.
6...Handles and alias are not allowed. Gnet is an upfront system, and all users
are expected to use their real name.
a...Handles may only be accepted in the ADULTS conference, since some
users would prefer to remain anonymous.
7...All BBSs within the network must carry the following conferences:
GENIUSnet Administration GENIUSnet Chat
GENIUSnet Moderators GENIUSnet Users
If a BBS within the network does not decide to carry all available
conferences, then they must have available to the users of their board a
listing of all available conferences within Gnet.
8...All participating BBSs are responsible for informing their users of the
policies and guidelines of Gnet and are doubly responsible for enforcing
said rules on their BBS and for any messages emanating from their BBS.
Also, they are required to post this promotional packet (GNETxxxx.ZIP)
for public download on their system.
9...Distribution of Gnet messages with BBSs who are not members of Gnet
is strictly prohibited. A BBS may not echo Gnet messages until they have
been granted Node status by their Host/Hub. Gateways to other networks is
the sole domain of the Network Host and may not be performed by other
systems except under special arrangement with the Network President.
10..All BBSs within the network are expected to transfer mail at least five
(5) times per week. This should be done during a daily event at a low
period in both the host's and the node's day.
11..Commercial use of Gnet is strictly prohibited. No vendor may use any
conference within the network for free advertising. SysOps within the
network are not in the business of paying toll charges to advertise
businesses.
12..The Network Echomail Hours are determined by the NECs for their particular
areas. This allows each NEC to determine when the best time to poll his/her
system is and avoids having a forced time that may prove inappropriate to
some NECs.
13..Unless otherwise allowed by an Echo Coordinator (on any level) nodes *MUST*
perform mail runs with the NECs only. This avoids unnecessary delays in
mail travel time and also provides overall consistency within the network.
14..These policies may be ammended at any time without prior notice.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GENIUSnet EchoMail Systems
"Intelligence And Diversity In Quality And Quantity"
Please refer all inquiries to:
Darryl Pierce
The Vampyre Bar! BBS
Worcester, MA - GENIUSnet Network Host (100:100/0)
(508) 755-9716 (data) HST Dual Standard 14.4k
Or to your nearest Echo Coordinator.