BBS Toolkit/BBS Toolkit.iso/gt_power/rules001.zip/RULES001.TXT

Text File | 1989-07-09 | 27KB | 537 lines

                   Houston GT Net Rules, Part I


I.  Purpose - Why We Are Organizing

    The purpose of these Rules is to promote security, reliability,
efficiency and local control of the Houston GT Net.

II. Authority - Who Says What We Are

    The system operators (sysops) of the Houston GT Net shall be the
source of authority for adopting, ratifying and amending these Rules.
In order to achieve the purpose set out above, the members of the
Houston GT Net consent to be governed by the Rules, to follow them in
spirit and in letter.  Acknowledging that many computer communications
systems and networks presently exist, the members of the Houston GT Net
agree to exercise their free choice to operate bulletin board systems
and other computers to communicate, using GT Power (TM) and any companion
programs which do not interfere negatively with the operation of the
Houston GT Net or impede its purpose, for so long as they participate
as members of the Houston GT Net.

    The authority of those coordinators serving the Houston GT Net
shall be delegated to them by its members, and they shall be elected to
carry out duties as described in these Rules and to serve at the pleasure
of the Net, subject to eligibility for election and to recall as described
below.

    The authority of the members of the Net encompasses the power to
amend these Rules or to dissolve the Houston GT Net.  A vote of two-thirds
of the active members of the Net shall be required to abandon these Rules
formally and completely.  A vote of 25 percent of the active members will
be required to amend these Rules.

    Good faith among the members of the Net -- relying on trust, not
suspicion; on proof, not innuendo; and on friendship, not competition --
is a material element of these Rules.

III.  Definitions of Terms - What We Are Talking About

3.1  Houston GT Net (Net 001)

     Those persons who operate bulletin board systems (BBSs) or other
computers set up for telecommunications using GT Power (TM) for the
purpose of moving data files and messages between them, whose systems
may be called without long distance charges from within the Houston
(713) area code.

3.2  GT Network

     A list of system operators (sysops) who operate computers with
appropriate communications codes so as to be part of the GT Network
as currently maintained by the GT International Netmail Coordinator.
GT sysops may or may not be part of the GT Network.

3.3  GT Network Hubs

     A list of sysops who operate computers as members of the GT Network
as currently maintained by the GT International Netmail Coordinator who
are shown as 'hubs' and who place and receive long-distance calls
routinely as part of the GT Network architecture for sending and pro-
cessing netmail.

3.4  Houston GT Net (Net 001) Sysops (a/k/a "Nodes")

     A list of sysops who operate computers with appropriate communica-
tion codes so that they are part of the GT Network located within the
(713) area code for telecommunications between computers.  Sysops are
persons.  A node number is part of an address -- the GT Network address
within a geographic area contains a net number and a node number.  A
particular system and/or its sysop is sometimes referred to as a 'node.'


3.5  Coordinators' Lists:  Status and Voting

    The Houston GT Net Sysops may have a status of active, pending,
suspended, or retired.  The word "status" used in these descriptions
refers to the capabilities of a system (not a person) in terms of
ability to accept and send netmail between Net 001 computers.  The
Local Net Coordinator shall maintain a list of netmail addresses,
the names of sysops at those locations, and the status of the node.
For purposes of addressing mail, the GT Network Nodelist shall control.
For purposes of voting, the Local Net Coordinator's list shall control.

3.5.a.

    "Active" means currently able to participate in Net 001 mail transfers.
A node (sysop) which is pending, suspended or retired as defined in these
Rules is not active.  The sysop of a pending node or a suspended node, as
of the time any meeting or referendum is called, may participate in that
governing activity, but is not otherwise active.  A retired node is inactive.

3.5.b.

    "Pending" means in the process of confirming participation in the
GT Network with the Local Net Coordinator and the International Netmail
Coordinator, whether or not yet shown on the GT Network Nodelist as
"pending."  A sysop of a node which is pending at the time a governing
vote is called (annual meeting or referendum) may participate in any
governing activity as if active.

3.5.c.

    "Suspended" means currently listed on the Local Net Coordinator's
list as "suspended," indicating that the node is unable to receive mail
according to Net 001 architecture.  A sysop of a node which is suspended
may participate in any governing activity as if active.  If the status
of a node remains temporarily suspended for longer than 90 days, its
status will be changed automatically to "retired."  The sysop of a node
which has been automatically retired may re-apply to the Local Net Coord-
inator and International Netmail Coordinator for a new node/number but
will not be re-activated under the old node/number.  All procedures for
new sysops to enter the Houston Net must be followed by those who re-apply.

    Ordinarily a change in status will result in a listing of "suspended"
on the International Netmail Coordinator's weekly Nodelist, as well as
on the Local Netmail Coordinator's list.  It is acknowledged that calls
out of the Net 001 architecture are possible between active and suspended
nodes, but involuntary suspensions shall be for cause and will likely be
the subject of intra-Net 001 consensus regarding the reason(s) for a
suspension and termination of mail services to such a node.

3.5.d.

    "Retired" means currently listed on the Local Net Coordinator's
list, and ordinarily on the International Netmail Coordinator's Nodelist,
as "retired."  Such nodes are no longer receiving mail at the previously
assigned Net/Node address.  This status is considered permanent if it
continues for longer than 90 days.

3.5.e.

    Voluntary and Involuntary Changes in status:  Any Houston Net
sysop may request to be placed on a "suspended" or "retired" status
by the Local Net Coordinator.  This is a voluntary suspension.  Involun-
tary suspensions and involuntary retirement of a node from participation
in the Houston GT Net shall be for good cause, as defined below.

    Unless the full involvement of the Houston Net is invoked by these
Rules concerning involuntary change in status, a listing of "suspended"
or "retired" on the Local Net Coordinator's list shall not state whether
the change is voluntary or involuntary.

    Since people move, go on vacation, get sick, forget how to operate
their programs if they are away from them for a time, become involved in
other projects, and change software, experimenting with how they operate
their boards -- and if they are away from home for some length of time,
may not want the general public to know they are not monitoring their
boards -- a Houston Net sysop may request to be listed as inactive for a
period of time ("suspended" if temporary, "retired" if selling equipment,
shutting down board, moving, etc.)  Such a listing is not to be taken to
imply anything negative with respect to the personality or character of
such a sysop.

IV.  Voting -- How the Power to Govern the Net is Distributed

4.1  One Vote Per Sysop

     Each sysop who is eligible to vote according to status may cast
one vote for any issue proposed for a Net vote, regardless of how many
computer systems and net/nodes that sysop operates.  An eligible sysop
may cast one vote regardless of age.

4.2  Quorum

     A quorum of the nodes in Net 001 shall be twenty-five percent
(25%) of the sysops listed on the Local Net Coordinator's list as
active, pending, or suspended.  A simple majority of those voting
shall carry on any issue.

4.3  Annual Meeting

     Routine Net 001 business shall be proposed and presented at an
annual meeting, to be held in Houston on or about March 1 of every
year.  All sysops whose status makes them eligible to vote on matters
concerning the governing of the Houston Net are invited and urged to
attend every annual meeting.

4.4  Conducting the Annual Meeting

     Proxies will be allowed and recorded during the voting process.
Neither notarized nor written proxies are required.  Officers will be
elected at the annual meeting to serve one-year terms.  One month
in advance of the annual meeting, the Local Net Coordinator shall open
the floor for proposals for the agenda of the annual meeting.  He or she
shall announce the specific time and place of the annual meeting and
agenda in the Local Houston Echo Conference two weeks prior to the event.
Anyone of any status may attend the annual meeting, including members of
the general public.

4.5  Voting by Referendum

     At the request of ten percent (10%) of the active sysops, the
Local Net Coordinator shall call for a referendum vote on any issue
presented for consideration by the Houston Net.  Referendum votes
shall be conducted via Netmail.  The Grievance Committee, as defined
below, shall serve as election judges for any referendum vote.  A
referendum may be called by the sysops by posting the request for
such a vote, with the names of those supporting the effort, in a
public (restricted access) message to the Local Net Coordinator in the
Local Echo Conference.

     The Local Net Coordinator may call for a referendum vote
independently only upon the resignation of a member of the Grievance
Committee, or if a member of such committee is unable to serve.


V.  Governing Positions -- What Jobs Must Be Done

    Any active sysop may hold office in the Houston GT Net, regardless
of age.

5.1   Local Net Coordinator

      The Local Net Coordinator assigns new sysops their node numbers
and refers them to the International Net Coordinator for their CRC codes.
The Local Net Coordinator specifies the status of each node in Net 001
by means of a list updated weekly which is available at his system to
all active Net 001 sysops.  The Local Net Coordinator designates a
Local Net Hub and sub-hubs, if necessary.

      The Local Net Coordinator is the arbitrator at the first formal
level of dispute resolution for any disputes within the Net, with power
to request evidence from the parties to any dispute, power to suspend a
node until further resolution of a dispute, and power to notify the
International Netmail Coordinator of changes in status of any node
within the Net.  At this level of dispute resolution, the Local Net
Coordinator will articulate the problem and attempt to negotiate a
private resolution of the dispute.

     If the Local Net Coordinator is a party to a dispute, that person
may not preside at any negotiations, but the parties will instead move
directly to the next level of dispute resolution.

     The Local Net Coordinator shall either sponsor the Local Net Echo
Conference or insure that another sysop sponsors such a conference for
Net 001.

     The Local Net Coordinator shall be elected at the annual meeting
and shall serve a one-year term.

     The Local Net Coordinator may also serve as Hub or sub-hub, but
may not hold any other elective office within the Net.

5.2  Local Net Hub

     A Local Net Hub is a sysop who maintains a system which sends
and receives netmail between nodes within a net and between itself
and other hubs, out of net.  A Local Net Hub must accept and forward
all netmail to and from all nodes within Net 001, either directly or
through sub-hubs.

     In order to transport mail from one net to another in acordance
with the purposes of these Rules, only one Local Net Hub with the
capability of economically moving netmail via long-distance shall
serve Net 001.  The Local Net Hub shall not be an elected position
but shall be appointed by the Local Net Coordinator, based on equipment
capabilities and sysop skill, and with the approval of the International
Netmail Coordinator.

     Sub-hubs will be appointed when membership in the Houston Net
reaches 100 nodes, or when mail traffic requires.  The Local Net Hub
will retain primary responsibility for mail transfer, even if the Local
Net Coordinator has appointed sub-hubs.

     A Local Net Hub shall give notice to the Local Net Coordinator
and the International Netmail Coordinator in advance of any voluntary
suspension of operations, or retirement.  Thirty (30) days' notice is
requested and expected of a Local Net Hub, unless the Hub sysop cannot
comply.  A request for reinstatement of a Hub sysop as a Hub will be
denied if proper notice is not given that mail will be interrupted
in the Houston Net, unless there is good cause for failing to give
such notice, such as an emergency.

5.3   Local Echomail Coordinator

      The Local Echomail Coordinator shall be responsible for maintaining
a current list of systems subscribing to echo conferences received in
Net 001.  This may be an "echolevels" report, and shall be made available
to Net 001 members.  The Local Echomail Coordinator shall analyze the
report and assist and encourage Net 001 members to use a structure to
transfer echomail which minimizes the number of outbound calls from Net
001 seeking or sending echomail.

      The Local Echomail Coordinator shall find a source for any echo
conference requested by an active sysop and available to the GT Network,
in an effort to minimize long distance expense; but the expense of sub-
scribing to an echo conference shall ultimately remain the responsibility
of the subscribing sysop, if any expense is involved.  The Local Echomail
Coordinator shall maintain, authorize and issue CRC codes for local
conferences.  The Local Echomail Coordinator shall have no authority to
create, maintain, authorize or issue CRC codes for new international
echomail conferences, since those jobs are performed by the International
Echomail Coordinator for the entire Network.

      The Local Echomail Coordinator shall be elected at the annual meeting
and shall serve a one-year term.

      The Local Echomail Coordinator may be a Hub or sub-hub but may not
hold any other elected office within the Net.

5.4   Recording Secretary

      The Recording Secretary shall attend the annual meeting and all
other meetings at which Net 001 business is conducted and shall record the
minutes of those meetings.  The minutes will be published in the Local
Echo Conference and may be read at the annual meeting if requested by
motion from the floor.

      The Recording Secretary shall be elected at the annual meeting
and shall serve a one-year term.

      The Recording Secretary may be elected to the Grievance Committee
but may not serve any other elected office within the Net.  If not elected
as a voting member of such committee, the Recording Secretary shall still
attend all meetings of the Grievance Committee as a non-voting member and
shall record its minutes as well as minutes of Net 001 meetings.  The
Recording Secretary shall be a sysop of Net 001.

5.5   Grievance Committee

      A three-member Grievance Committee shall be elected at the annual
meeting from among the active sysops.  Any coordinator elected to serve
for the coming term is not eligible for election to the committee.

      Members of the Grievance Committee will have the power to request
and examine evidence supporting any position of a party to a dispute; to
recommend an involuntary suspension or retirement of a Net/Node from the
Houston GT Net list if such action has not been taken, or to approve any
such suspension or retirement already in effect; to reinstate a Net/Node
following changes in that sysop's operation, or changes in the content of
a Houston GT Net BBS by a sysop; to set periods of suspension and/or
terms of reinstatement; and to appeal to the entire Houston GT Net for
advice, suggestions, or opinions on policy.

      The members of the Grievance Committee shall serve for a term of
one year.  If any member withdraws from the committee for any reason,
such member is asked to give notice to the Local Net Coordinator thirty
days in advance of such withdrawal, if possible.  The Local Net Coordinator
will call an interim election to fill this position in case a member cannot
or will not continue to serve.

VI.  Dispute Resolution -- How We Settle Our Fights

     A three-level system for resolving disputes is hereby adopted,
as follows:

6.1  Level 1 - Informal Mediation Before Invoking Formal Process

     Any two or more sysops who have a disagreement which involves
inter-BBS matters may initiate action under these Rules.  Unless the
issue is an inter-BBS matter, it shall be the sole responsibility of
that sysop to determine the contents and operational policies for his
or her board.

     Inter-BBS matters are those affecting echo conference contents,
distribution of mail or echo conference updates, material posted on
a board which another sysop feels may jeopardize the Houston GT Net
by exposing its members to potential civil or criminal liability, or
which may adversely reflect on the GT Network, Network projects which
may be undertaken by agreement of the members, and any other situation
in which the Houston GT Net members are involved collectively.

      In case of a dispute regarding an inter-BBS matter, a first,
informal approach -- and the one most likely to satisfy those persons
initially concerned -- is for the individuals to discuss the issue in
private, by private netmail, private telephone conference, private
regular mail, or private in-person communications.  The Houston GT Net
sysops agree to consider this approach before invoking the Rules' formal
dispute resolution process.

       Public conversations and discussions involving third-parties at
this stage has been found to be counterproductive in most cases involving
inter-BBS disputes; and other sysops who are not directly involved shall
refrain from offering advice or, above all, taking sides in any dispute
unless and until the process described in these Rules has been initiated.

       All Houston GT Net sysops agree that, if asked to become involved
in disputes between other sysops, they will recommend that the process
outlined in these Rules be followed, including informal negotiations and
non-involvement by third parties.

6.2  Level 2 -- Private Meeting with LNC

     Upon request by two or more sysops who have a dispute, or at his
own request, the Local Net Coordinator will arrange a conference call
or meeting between the parties to the dispute to discuss any inter-BBS
conflict which has not been resolved informally.  The role of the Local
Net Coordinator is to establish a time and place for the meeting or call;
and to propose a statement describing the conflict to which the parties
can agree.  The Local Net Coordinator may exercise any of the powers
granted to the person in that job in order to devise a statement of the
conflict.

     If the Local Net Coordinator is able to propose a solution to the
dispute at this point, he or she may do so.  If no solution can be found
during the conference call or meeting, then the parties may move on to the
next state as set forth in these Rules.  The Local Net Coordinator may
forward any information or evidence obtained in Level 2 discussions to
the Grievance Committee, for its consideration at Level 3.

     The Local Net Coordinator may move directly to Level 3 at his or
 her discretion and may appeal to the Grievance Committee directly when a
 dispute requires an immediate Houston Net response or is otherwise an
 emergency.  If the Local Net Coordinator is involved in a dispute, then
 the parties shall skip the Level 2 process and go directly to Level 3.

6.3  Level 3 -- Grievance Committee

     If a Local Net Coordinator is disqualified from participating in
the Level 2 stage (because he or she is an interested party in the dispute),
or if the coordinator has taken the dispute to the Level 3 stage for any
reason; and whenever no resolution has been found at the Level 1 and Level 2
stage, then the dispute will be referred to the Grievance Committee.

     The members of the Grievance Committee shall be the final authority
on any inter-BBS dispute.  No appeal shall be made from its decision.
Once a decision issues from the Grievance Committee, there shall be no
further appeal to the membership of the Houston GT Net at large.

     The Grievance Committee shall communicate by whatever means its
members choose.  It shall not communicate its deliberations or findings to
any parties who are not involved in the dispute, unless the committee is
unanimously in favor of doing so.  If the Grievance Committee unanimously
agrees to publicize the results of its deliberations on a matter, it will
instruct the Recording Secretary to post its findings and decisions in
the Local Sysop Echo Conference.

     The Grievance Committee shall determine what is "good cause" for
involuntary suspension or a sysop, for involuntary retirement of
a node, and for reinstatement of a sysop who has been disciplined.

     Persistent and intentional violations of these Rules shall be
deemed good cause for disciplinary action.  All decisions of the
Grievance Committee, including a decision concerning conduct which has
been the source of a dispute and which may be deemed "good cause" for
disciplinary action, shall be made by the three committee members by
majority vote, except the decision whether to publicize its findings
and decisions, which must be unanimous.

     The Grievance Committee shall consist of three members and only
three members.  Each member must be disinterested in the particular
dispute before it.  If a Grievance Committee member is involved in a
dispute, he or she shall be replaced for that dispute only with a
temporary member who shall be a disinterested sysop, selected by the
three regular Grievance Committee members to serve for that dispute only.

VII.  Operational Guidelines

      The Houston GT Net sysops adopt the following operational
guidelines.  More detailed guidelines for mail and echo updates may
be adopted in the future without requiring formal amendment to the
Rules, unless the following specific Rules are to be amended.

7.1  Excluding Nodes

     Any sysop may ban another sysop or a user from local access to
his system and may kill messages on his board, for any reason; but no
Houston Net sysop shall EXCLUDE any other system from his or her board,
unless at the request of the Grievance Committee.  The EXCLUDE function
results in a complete disruption of mail service both above and below
the affected system and can affect the entire Net.  EXCLUDES are in
violation of two stated purposes of these Rules and shall only be used
for good cause as determined by the Grievance Committee.

7.2  Broadcast messages

     Broadcasting messages is generally discouraged, particularly
out of net broadcasts.  Since there are times when it is appropriate
(to announce a severe bug in software, to announce major legislation
that could affect the Network, etc.), broadcasts are not absolutely
forbidden.  "Seasons Greetings" type of broadcasts are absolutely
not appropriate, however.  Instead of a hard and fast rule, this
policy statement shall govern.

     Broadcast messages are to be no more than 32K in aggregate.
Larger messages are an inappropriate drain on Network resources in
most cases, and the sending sysop shall weigh the value of the message
to the Network before exceeding that limitation.

     In NO CASE shall more than a single copy of a broadcast message
be sent outside of the United States to any other specific country.

     If possible, broadcast messages should be pre-announced to the hubs
which will be distributing them.

7.3  File-Attach and File-Request

     These functions of Netmail have limits similar to broadcast messages.
Any file which exceeds 32K is not generally a candidate for transmission
through the Network, as this imposes an unreasonable burden on other
systems in the GT Network.  However, a file-attach or file-request between
nodes within the Houston Net need have no such restriction unless one of
the systems involved is a Hub or sub-hub.

7.4  Echomail Requests

     When a new subscriber requests multiple echo conferences, that user
places an enormous drain on the resources of the source system.  It is
adviseable to tell the source of an echo conference from whom a sysop
subscribes that the new subscribing system is about to request all echo
updates for that conference.  It is generally understood that to subscribe
to more than two new conferences at one time, in one session of normal
Netmail and Echomail hours, is excessive.  The Houston Net adopts an
absolute limit of three new echo conference subscriptions in one session.

     Further, to subscribe to conferences not carried by a system wastes
the time of both systems.  Before issuing an echo request, it is the
responsibility of the subscribing sysop to determine that the source
system actually carries the conference.  This may be done via the echomail
level reports and with the assistance of the Local Echomail Coordinator.

7.5  Bridging to Other Networks

     Providing Echomail conferences to other non-GT networks or retrieving
non-GT conferences from other networks requires coordination.  The Inter-
national Echomail Coordinator must provide authority for an echo conference
to be bridged if the conference is an International Echo Conference; and
the Local Echomail Coordinator must provide authority to do so if the
conference is a local echo.  If you are not the sponsor of a bridged
conference, you must obtain permission from the sponsor before bridging.

     No more than one bridge may exist at any one time for a conference.

7.6  Crash!mail Calls

     Scheduled Crash!mail calls can be helpful but are generally not very
valuable except between hub systems.  If a sysop places SCHEDULED Cash!mail
calls to a system, the requesting sysop should receive permission from the
receiving sysop and should arrange a schedule convenient for both systems.
It is suggested that Crash!mail calls not be placed after midnight, to
avoid interference with Netmail runs.