Shareware 1 2 the Maxx/sw_1.zip/sw_1/TEXT/STARTUP.ZIP/STARTUP.NEW

Text File | 1992-06-11 | 23KB | 431 lines

                         Start Up for New Sysops to RelayNet

   Welcome to Relaynet.  We hope that you are as pleased with your
   decision to join us on the net as we are in having you.

   This file is not meant to replace reading your official pcrelay
   documentation or the various network wide rules. Rather it is to
   help you get started quickly and smoothly. For more details please
   refer to those parts of the appropriate document dealing with the
   specific issue you have questions about.

   The Name of the Network:
   Some of us call this network Relaynet, while others refer to it as
   RIME.  Both names are appropriate, although RIME is the official
   name, standing for RelayNet International Mail Exchange. Fell free
   to use either term.

                The Software - Tips for Relaynet

   Getting your message base ready for relaying:
   While the pcrelay documentation states that you must add a message
   to every conference that you are going to relayed, this is not
   true.  You do NOT have to enter a message into a message base for
   PCRelay to handle the conference correctly.  You should be aware
   that the first message in the conference will generally not be
   exported. However import will proceed normally in spite of an empty
   message base.

   We ask that you NOT leave an initialization message in the required
   RimeNews conference (network number #200). If you feel you must
   leave a message, route it to yourself.  That way you will be in
   compliance with the rules of the conference, you can try out routed
   mail, and see your own tagline to boot!!

   Private.net file:
   We require that all sysops, wherever possible (some software such
   as MajorBBS do not have a private mail facility inherent to them)
   be able to receive private messages.  We strongly recommend that
   you allow private mail on your system.  There is no mail in the
   network that cannot be read by the sending and receiving sysops and
   while we do not guarantee real private mail, the software facility
   for sending messages limited to boards where a user has a mailbox,
   helps save each and every sysop money and disk space. You must
   enter your own name in the private.net file if you expect to
   receive private mail.  To do this, run config.exe and choose the
   Mailbox option.  Follow the directions for entering your own name.

   Routed messages:
   A routed message is a message meant to be delivered to only one
   particular board in the network. It may be either public or
   private. To send a routed message you must know the IDCODE of the
   board you wish to reach. The IDCODE appears immediately following
   the words PCRELAY in every tagline and is a group of up to 8
   letters.  The symbol for routing is -> that is a hyphen immediately
   followed by a greater than symbol or arrow pointing to the right.
   This routing symbol must then be immediately followed by the
   IDCODE.  This routing symbol must be placed in the extreme upper
   left hand corner of the message and must have a space between it
   and any body of your message.  It would look like this if you were
   trying to reach me at RUNNINGA.

                  ->RUNNINGA

   If you want to know when the routed message arrived and thereby
   receive a "return receipt" - place a star (*) immediately after the
   IDCODE.

   Network sysop messages:
   A network sysop message is a specialized message that can be
   entered once but then delivered to every sysop on the network.
   While the message is addressed to NETWORK SYSOP at its point of
   origin, on import the TO: field is changed to the individual
   sysop's name. You can always identify a network sysop message
   because the subject line of the message ends with the following:

                          (NS)

   Network sysop message are not permitted except with specific
   permission of a Steering Committee Member.  An exception is made if
   you wish to send a message to the sysop of a specific board and do
   not know the name of that sysop. In this case you may send a
   network sysop message ROUTED to that particular board and the
   message will be delivered only to that board. Never send a NETWORK
   SYSOP message that is unrouted, without specific permission.

   Watch function:
   The Watch function of PCRelay allows you to gather into a text file
   every message from a particular user, or yourself, that is both
   exported and imported between your board and the rest of the
   network.  This allows you to track messages from particular users
   or to keep copies of all messages addressed to you.  This is all
   done automatically by the software. If you choose to use your watch
   function please check it periodically as it can grow to quite a
   large file depending on the activity of the user!  You can enter a
   watch for a user name or for particular word(s) that may appear in
   the subject line of a message. To initiate a watch, run config.exe,
   choose the watch function and follow directions.

   Insulate.net:
   The insulate.net file prevents messages from a user named in that
   file to leave or enter your board. It should be used on only the
   rarest of occasions as it effectively removes all means of
   communication between the insulated person and the rest of the
   network. If asked to place a user in your insulate.net file please
   do so by running config.exe, choosing the insulate function and
   following directions.

   Reset:
   Reset.exe is a file in your node software.  Its purpose is to
   realign the message pointers as kept by PCRelay with the message
   pointers as kept by your BBS software. Normally you will never need
   to run reset.exe. However, if you experience some problem with your
   exchange of message, such as a runtime error, it may become
   necessary to then run reset.exe.  If you do not complete your mail
   exchange and have run either export or import several times in a
   row, please run reset.exe to prevent re- exporting of received
   mail.

   If you run reset.exe no new mail will be exported from your board.
   But if in doubt, it is better to run reset.exe then export received
   messages.  Please read the official documentation for further
   discussion of this program.

   Taglines:
   We ask that your tagline contain certain specific information. The
   two lines of your tagline are generated automatically by two files
   you must have - id.net and net.id. The id.net file contains your
   IDCODE information and the net.id contains the network information.
   The first line is the network name and it is generated by your
   net.id file.  The second line may contain any of the following
   information that you wish to place there: BBS Name, BBS number,
   location, modem speed, files you carry, support your board offers
   or what have you. We ask that you not leave quips or any type of
   non-informational data in that area. To see your own tagline send a
   routed message to yourself in any of your relayed conferences. (Do
   not ask others to send you a copy of your tagline as that can
   potentially generate 1000's of responses from helpful others!)

   What to do if something fails:
   If in the process of trying to obtain your mail your event fails,
   try to complete that event and then check the documentation to see
   what might have happened.  If at all possible always allow import
   to run after an export, even if export was aborted with a runtime
   error.  Leave a message in the PCRelay support conference if you
   can't figure out what happened. If all else fails call Bonnie
   Anthony V:301-229-7244/BBS 301-229- 5342/5623.

                       The Conferences

   Required Conferences:
   Relaynet has two required conferences: COMMON (#4) and RIMENEWS
   (#200).  Both conferences must be relayed and maintained on your
   BBS.  Each has their own special requirements that you must enforce
   on your BBS.

   Rules for RIMENEWS:
   The purpose of RIMENEWS (#200) is for network wide announcements.
   It is read only.   That means that no one but the SC and the
   Conference Coordinators may place messages in this conference.   To
   create a read only conference you may do one of two things.  Some
   software allow you to make a conference "non-echoable".  That means
   that if you or your user leaves a message in that conference,
   pcrelay will ignore that message and not send it out to the
   network. For this option to be effective you must have setup
   PCRelay to pay attention to the echo flags.

   Another way to create a read only conference on your board is to
   delete the conference from your exported mail so that no mail will
   be uploaded to your hub. If you are using pkzip to package your
   mail you would want to have your batch file look something like
   this:

    export        <<- export your new mail
    cd\comm       <<- change to your communication directory
    PKZIP -D IDCODE.RLY IDCODE.200 <<-delete the rimenews conference
    comm script    <<-run your communication program with your script
    copy in.rly c:\junk <<-copy your in.rly somewhere else to "save"
                        it in case of mail loss
    import        <<- import your in.rly

         IDCODE= YOUR particular node id.

   Rules for COMMON:
   As COMMON (#4) is required on every board we have special rules in
   order to minimize the traffic in this conference.  This is an
   introduction conference, where any user from any system can reach
   any other user in the network.  Brief introductions, searches for
   nodes, suggestions as to how to use the network or conference
   guidance are all good uses of the COMMON conference. Messages are
   limited to 10 lines in length, excluding the signature and tagline
   areas but including any quoting.  Receiver only and routed messages
   are encouraged and general discussion is discouraged.  Once
   discussions are initiated we ask that further dialogue either go
   routed or move to the appropriate conference.

   Reaching a conference host:
   If you would like to reach a particular conference host and you do
   not know who this is, send a message to James Wall of idcode DREAM.
   He can provide the Conference Hosts name and idcode. James is
   always reachable in COMMON. If you are in a conference and are
   unsure of who the conference host, please feel free to leave a
   message to all inquiring as to who is the host. No one will be
   insulted!

    Relay Users:
    Relay Users (#104) is not a required conference but we strongly
    recommend that you consider carrying this conference as this is
    the place for users to dialogue with various conference hosts and
    the Steering Committee.  If any of your users experience
    difficulties in any conference, we ask that they leave a message
    to STEERCOM in Relay Users relating their difficulties.  They may
    also reach any member of the Steering Committee in the COMMON
    conference by sending a private, non-routed message to STEERCOM.

    Your own users:
    You are of course responsible for the conduct of your own users.
    We ask that you provide them with a copy of the rimeman.zip file
    which is the user guide lines for Relaynet. Help your users by
    being available to answer questions and direct them to appropriate
    conferences for their interests or questions. Sysops may
    discipline their own users at their own discretion.  We ask that
    if a conference host has asked you to remove a user from a
    conference, that you remove the user first and then join us in
    Relay Users for a discussion, or give me a voice call at

          301-229-7244 (my voice number).

    How to start a new conference:
    We have specific rules for starting a conference.  If you have a
    new conference idea, contact our Conference Coordinator in charge
    of conferences, James Wall of idcode DREAM.  He will provide you
    with all the necessary information.  Here is a brief summary of
    the rules for scouting for a new conference.

          (A) Obtain Scout Number from James Wall of DREAM
          (B) Select those 5 conferences you wish to use to advertise
          your new conference proposal.
          (C) You may post one advertisement message per week for four
          weeks in each of those 5 conferences.
          (D) Feel free to answer questions or requests concerning
          your conference proposal, but this should be a dialogue, not
          an advertisement.
          (E) If you do not obtain the required number of Nodes (10)
          and Hubs (5) in the time allotted, you may not post again.
          You may request this conference again in (4) months.

    The SC reserves the right to establish specialized conferences,
    such as vendor supported conferences, announced through the CC.

    Becoming a conference host:
    If you are interested in hosting a conference please contact James
    Wall of nodeid DREAM. We are always in need of conference hosts
    and take every request seriously.

    Becoming a conference host takes time and effort.  We ask the
    following from our conference hosts:  Check the contents of
    your conference frequently.  Daily is best. Make every
    effort to see that users of the conference stay on topics
    that are the goal of your conference but also help stimulate
    conversation and expand the topics of your conference. If
    users are introducing topics that do not relate to the
    conference topic, note to them in a cordial fashion that
    their post is not appropriate and suggest another conference
    where they might continue their discussions.  Always be able
    to answer general questions about the network and how to
    make the most of it, such as what are private messages, how
    to route messages, how to set up private mailboxes. Inform
    the conference users of whom they should contact in the
    event of a problem in the conference.  This includes making
    yourself visible as the first person to contact in such an
    event.

                   The People of the Network

     Members of the SC: The following sysops are part of the Steering
     Committee of Relaynet:
                Bonnie Anthony - RUNNINGA - CEO
                Howard Belasco - RUNNINGB
                JThomas Howell - MORE
                Mike Glenn     - PARTY
                Rex Hankins    - IBMNET

      Conference Coordinators: The following sysops are part of
      the coordinators of the network.
                James Wall     - DREAM - Conference setups
                Paul Hileman   - BAYOU - Conference moderation
                Rick Kingslan  - OMAHANET - Marketing

       Conference Hosts: For the names of the host of a particular
       conference, please consult your rimeconf.txt file.
       However there are a few names you should know:
                Lana Fox        - MODEMZNE - COMMON conference
                Paul Hileman    - BAYOU    - USERS conference

                    The Rules themselves

          General Relaynet Conference Rules:

          *1. No illegal activities. Illegal activities, including
          promotion of illegal acts and promotion of software
          copyright infringement, will not be allowed in RIME.

          *2.  No offensive or abusive language.  The use of any word,
          group of words, expression, comment, suggestion, or proposal
          which is profane, obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy,
          indecent, or is ethnically, sexually, or racially demeaning
          is strictly prohibited within RIME.

          3.  No abuse of other users.  Do not abuse the other users
          of this/these conference(s) by sending abusive, foul, or
          insulting messages.  No abuse of other users on the basis of
          character, physical characteristics, religion, gender,
          sexual orientation, intelligence quotient, or ethnicity is
          allowed.  Messages meant to harass or bully another user are
          not allowed.

          4.  Conference topics.  Messages shall remain to the topic
          of the conference.

          5.  Message content: Do not "over quote" messages.  Quoting
          should be limited to that amount which reminds the original
          user of what was said or to provide for an adequate
          response.  Quoting should never be more than 20% of the
          total message.  Never quote tagline areas unless you are
          discussing taglines.

          BBS Ads are ONLY permitted in the BBS AD Conference. ForSale
          ads are permitted only in the FORSALE conference, or where
          specifically permitted.  Messages containing ANSI codes are
          to be posted ONLY in the ANSI Conference.  No ANSI graphics
          may be used in any conference on the network except the ANSI
          conference. High ASCII characters are also specifically
          discouraged.  Signatures and taglines may not exceed two
          lines and may not contain any ANSI or high ASCII characters.

          6.  Copying messages to other conferences and/or other
          users.  No one may copy, quote verbatim, or extensively
          quote from a message from one issue-oriented conference to
          another without permission of the originator of the message.
          In addition retransmission of public/private messages
          dealing with administrative matters to anyone other than the
          user, Sysop, CH or SC member involved in order to harass,
          bully, bring other users into the private administrative
          discussion or substantially distort that administrative
          action is considered grounds for disciplinary action and
          potential removal from the network.

          No copying messages from other networks without the specific
          permission of the author of the message and/or the
          originating network whichever is appropriate.

          7.  Bombing the Net.  Bombing the Network, or the practice
          of a user generating multiple non-related messages for the
          purpose of disrupting a conference or the Network is
          prohibited.

          8.  Misleading information.  Messages that are specifically
          intended to mislead and deceive are considered to be
          disruptive to a conference.

          9.  Harassment.  Messages meant to harass or bully another
          user are not allowed.

          10.  Any and all of the rules that are part of the RIME
          Bylaws are hereby incorporated here.

          11.  Differences of opinion.  Differences of opinion that
          are over these rules in a conference are to be discussed in
          the NETADMIN or the USERS Conferences only.  These
          differences may be discussed with the Conference Host in the
          conference by R/O and/or Routed message only, or with
          STEERCOM in the COMMON Conference by R/O message only.

          12.  Any user or sysop threatening to involve Relaynet in a
          law suit or legal battle, at the discretion of the CC or SC,
          may be removed from the network.

    How we handle problems:
    If a problem exists, the Conference Host should approach the user
    in his/her most courteous fashion and ask the user to review the
    rules of the conference and/or network. The initial message should
    be R/O and routed if possible, however, the Conference Host may
    elect to address the problem in a general public message in the
    conference. Depending on the severity of the matter and how
    quickly the problem develops, it may be appropriate to notify the
    Conference Coordinator of RIME of the impending problem so that
    he/she may be kept abreast of the situation and follow the
    contents of your conference.

    The next step would be to contact the SysOp of the originating
    board and respectfully request cooperation/aid in handling the
    problem.  If the Conference Host does not know the name of the
    Sysop, send a Routed NETWORK SYSOP message to the IDCODE of the
    board.  As COMMON is the best place to handle administrative
    issues that are being brought to a sysops attention, scan COMMON
    frequently. (Please do this in a private, routed message)

    If the first two have not been successful the CH may ask for
    direct intervention by the Conference Coordinator/SC to bring the
    problem situation to a close. The final step is to consult the
    Steering Committee for guidance in addressing the matter.

    In most instances, the initial step is sufficient to handle most
    user problems. Any suspensions or removals from the network may
    only be performed by the SC. For a first offense the user may
    simply be warned. Warnings should be brought to the attention of
    the CC (Paul Hileman IDCODE ->BAYOU). A subsequent offense may
    subject the user to removal from the conference(s) for a minimum
    of ten days. If the user continues to ignore the rules that user
    is subject to removal from the conference(s), or the network if
    appropriate, for a minimum of thirty days. Any further offenses
    subject the user to removal from the network. permanently or until
    the SC declares otherwise. A CH in a conference where there has
    been flagrant disregard of all rules of common sense to the point
    of conference disruption, may suspend a participant in the
    conference immediately for a period of 10 days. Upon suspension
    the CH must immediately notify at least two of the following
    persons:

                   Paul Hileman - Conference Coordinator (BAYOU)
                   Bonnie Anthony - CEO (RUNNINGA)
                   Sysop of the board that the user messages from.

    Immediate suspension is considered a grave event and should not be
    undertaken lightly.

     And finally all node SysOps are expected to adhere to the highest
     standards of decorum and courtesy in their conference usage and
     participation.  Of course!