Host Primer

   As new hosts (or even established ones) you may not know exactly
what you are supposed to do.  Many of the answers may be found in the
CONFHOST.TXT section elesewhere in this ZIP file.  Additional
suggestions and tips are posted below.

   I.  Yay, I'm a Host!  Now what?

   First, take a deep breath and relax.  You're host at a party,
surrounded by friends discussing common topics of interest.  As long
as you treat your conference hosting duties like this and have fun in
the process, you'll be fine.  You're a host, not a moderator and there
is a difference.  You shouldn't act as 'Net Police' or as editor.  All
you have to do is welcome new users, try to keep your users focused on
the topic of the conference and to maintain a friendly atmosphere.

   You will have your own style which some users will find annoying.
You can't please all participants in your conference so don't worry
about it.  All you can do is handle disputes as fairly and impartially
as possible.  That is all anyone can ask.

   II.  Do I Need to Find a Co-Host?

   No, but it's not a bad idea.  It doesn't matter how large your
conference is.  Even the host of a small conference needs a break.
Plus, you may want to delegate certain conference duties to an
assistant which may make your job easier and more pleasant.  I do not
want to dictate whom you must choose as your co-host.  The most
important thing is that you find someone friendly and tactful who
shares your view of how the conference should be run.  Compatability
is the key.

   If you're having difficulty chosing between several individuals,
keep this in mind: try to find a co-host from another BBS so that at
least someone will get mail if one BBS is down.  Similarly, a co-host
pulling mail from another hub is not a bad idea, either.  If your hub
is down, you and your BBS can't get mail but your co-host will still
have contact with the net.  Keep in mind that this is just a
suggestion for the smooth operation of your conference and is not
mandatory.  Also, please advise me of your co-host's name for final
approval and so that I can update the conference description file.

   III.  Do I Need My Own Conference Guidelines?

   No.  Obviously, the net-wide rules apply to all conferences (no
name-calling, no profanity, etc.).  If you feel these net rules are
enough, you don't have to have your own.  However, you may feel a few
extra rules are needed just for your conference.  For example, though
ads are frowned upon by hosts generally, you may want to allow ads
for products that are topical to your conference.  That would be a
conference-specific guideline and your users should be informed of it.

   ("Ads" shouldn't be confused with BBS ads.  Those are allowed only
in the BBS-Ads conference.  You'll also see new BBSs announce they've
just added your conference to their mail scan.  These are perfectly
ok.  It's a nice touch to follow these up with a message welcoming the
new system to your conference).

   Some hosts have extra guidelines, some don't.  One suggestion: if
you have additional guidelines, keep them short and simple.

   How often you post your guidelines is up to you.  You may want to
wait til you see an influx of new users.  Or, you can post them in a
message to "All" on a regular basis like once a month, once a week or
whenever you think it's time to do so.

   IV.  What Do I Do If I See a Problem?

   Occasionally, people will get out of line and you'll have to step
in.  Ask each participant in as friendly a way as possible to stop.
Be fair.  If two people are flaming each other, both need your
attention.  Finding out who started it isn't as important as getting
it stopped.

   Sometimes, it's best to let a small argument run its course with no
intervention as long as it doesn't turn nasty or disrupt the rest of
the conference.  In time you'll learn that there is a time to step in
and a time to be silent.  Remember, debate and disagreements are fine
but when they include name calling and personal attacks, you should
deal with it.

   Whenever you request something of a user (get back on topic, keep
quoting to a minimum, etc.) keep this in mind: you're making a request
of a 'guest in your home,' not barking an order to the troops.  It is
important to remember that you're supposed to be the "good guy."
Don't argue with the user.  Leave the discipline to his/her sysop.

   Procedure: Make a friendly request asking the user to stop.  If
they don't respond favorably, post a message to their sysop in
UNINET-Admin (The name of the caller's BBS can always be found at the
bottom of each message.  The name of the sysop of that BBS can be
found in the UNIBBS.LST elsewhere in this ZIP file).  If the problem
persists, you may ask that a user be suspended from your conference
for a period of no more than 30 days.  If you can't contact the sysop,
contact their hub sysop (Hubs have territories comprised of certain
states.  Look at the UNIHUBS.LST for the hub covering the state of the
BBS in question).

   Addendum: Be sure you discuss the problem with the user's sysop first
and let him/her handle it.  You should not request that a first-time
offender be ousted from your conference without having gone through the
above procedure.  The sysop may remove the first-time offender anyway,
but that is his/her call.  Removal or suspension of a user doesn't
generally occur unless that person has repeatedly stepped out of line
and all channels of discussion have failed to solve the problem.

   If certain users make your hair stand on end, please do not fall
back on a "twit" filter.  Hosts don't have the "luxury" of not seeing
messages from users in their conference, even if they are upsetting,
boring, etc.  You should read all messages in your conference.

   V.  What If I Can No Longer Continue as Host?

   If you must step down as host due to illness, work, etc., please
notify me here if possible.  Don't just disappear.  If you can, give a
few weeks' notice.  If you have a replacement in mind, please notify
me.  Finding a replacement is not required, though it is appreciated.

   You should enjoy what you're doing and have fun as host.  If you
find yourself dreading the job, get away from it for awhile.  You can
ask a sysop or another host to watch the conference for a few days
while you take a break (This is where co-hosts come in handy).  If
it's still a chore after you get back from your break, it's time to
leave it behind.  There is no shame in stepping down and no reason to
feel guilty.  If you step down as host and later decide you want to
host another conference when the situation permits, feel free to
volunteer.  We'll be more than happy to have you back in the U'NI-net
family.

   If you have any questions or problems regarding hosting, just ask
in UNI-HOST.  Other hosts may have experienced the same problem and
will try to offer suggestions or solutions.  Remember, everyone on
U'NI-net is grateful for the time and effort you put forth as a
volunteer.  If there's anything we can do to help make your job easier
or more enjoyable, we'll try to do it.

John Ewin, U'NI-net Host Coordinator