GENIUSnet EchoMail Systems - Policies And Network Goals As Of April 1, 1992 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, MS-DOS 5.0, MS Windows] to non- computer related areas [Debates, Horror Films, 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 Council, 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 method of message distribution is broken down into several areas, those being: NETWORK HOST: The focal point of message distribution. The Network Host is The Vampyre Bar! BBS, BBS of the Network President, Darryl L. Pierce. From this BBS, all messages branch out along the network arms. REGIONAL HOST: Regional Hosts are the next level down in the network from the Network Host. Regional Hosts only make outgoing mail runs to the Network Host. This is the distribution point for each region, discussed later. SUPERREGIONAL HUB: A Superregional Hub is the main distribution point for network messages. Superregional Hubs are given jurisdiction over their home states or portions of their home state, depending on the size of the state and/or the number of BBSs there. Superregional Hubs only perform mail runs with their Regional Host. REGIONAL HUB: Regional Hubs are the final distribution point for network messages. Regional hubs distribute messages to all nodes contained within their region. Nodes within the network only perform mail traffic with a Regional Hub. Regional Hubs only perform mail traffic with their Superregional Hub. NODE: All BBSs within the network are considered a node. But, in this context, Node is a BBS within the network that does not have other systems that network off of them, ie Nodes are not called by other systems. Gnet is broken down into this heirarchy to defer long distance toll charges that would normally be present without a specialized distribution system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIGURE1.1 - Network Layout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NETWORK HOST ³ SUPERREGIONAL HOST ³ REGIONAL HOST ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ REGIONAL HOST REGIONAL HOST REGIONAL HOST ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³ SUPERREGIONAL SUPERREGIONAL ³ ³ HUB HUB ³ SUPERREGIONAL HUB ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ³ REGIONAL HUB REGIONAL HUB ³ REGIONAL ³ ÀÄ¿ ÚÄÙ ³ À¿ ³ HUB NODE ³ NODE NODE ³ ³ ÚÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÂÄÄÄ¿ ³ NODE ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ NODE NODE NODE NODE NODE NODE NODE SUPERREGIONAL HUB ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ REGIONAL REGIONAL HUB HUB ÚÄÄÁÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄ¿ NODE NODE NODE NODE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [NOTE: This layout describes the routing for one Superregion and one Region.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part III - Breakdown Of GENIUSnet's Council ------------------------------------------- PRESIDENT: The position of President is a "lifetime" position held by Darryl L. Pierce, founder of GENIUSnet EchoMail Systems. All decisions concerning the operations of Gnet are ratified by the President. VICE PRESIDENT: The Vice President is responible solely to the President of the network. Duties include dissemination of network rules, dispensing decisions and approving applications for node status of BBSs. SECRETARIAT: The Secretariat is responsible for dispensing Gnet packet information and also any updates to the network policies and guidelines. All requests for minutes of Council meetings are also handled by this position. COUNCIL MEMBER: A Council Member is appointed by both the President and Vice President and is enpowered to vote upon both applications submitted by BBSs and policies and procedures brought forth during Council meetings. 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 and/or delete 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 either the BBS ADS conference or 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 be 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 all that network conference globally. 6...Handles and alias are not allowed. Gnet is an upfront system, and all users are expected to use their real name. 7...All BBSs within the network must carry the following conferences: GENIUSnet Administration GENIUSnet Chat GENIUSnet Moderators GENIUSnet News 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 is strictly prohibited. A BBS may not echo Gnet messages until they have been granted Node status by the Council. Gateways to other networks is the sole domain of the Network Host and may not be performed by other systems except under special dispensation of 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..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 Basner The Vampyre Bar! BBS Vineland, NJ - GENIUSnet Network Host (Eastern Central) (609) 825-4996 (data)