²²²²²²²έ ²²²²²²²έ ²²²²²²²έ ²²²²²²έ ²²²²²²²έ ²²²²²²²έ ²²²έ²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²έ²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²έtm ²²²²²²²έ ²²²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²έ²²²έ ²²²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²έ²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²²²²²έ ²²²έ ²²²έ²²²έ ²²²²²²²έ ²²²έ The People's echo mail Network message exchange, New York ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί PetNET(tm) Network - List with Moderators and Principles v0.8 Ί Ί (c) Copyright 1994 PetNET(tm) New York. All rights reserved Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ The P_Mod&SysOp conference ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It is restricted to the Conference Liaison, Network SysOps their Co-SysOps, PetNET Administration AND Moderators only. Under no circumstances should a Hub, Node, or BBS allow a regular user to read, or post on this conference. It is intended only for Network SysOps, Moderators, and PetNET(tm) Staff, to discuss conference descriptions, users lockouts, conferences activities, moderators policies, etc. Since not all moderators are also SysOps, if your BBS has a PeNET(tm) conference Moderator please allow him/her access to this conference. All new conferences added to the Network must have the approval of the Network Administration. Hubs and Nodes may propose the addition or modi- fication of conferences by leaving mail in either P_Mod&SysOp or P_ChitChat conferences. Private Messages/Files attachments should, and will be supported. * All Hubs/Nodes are required to carry this conference * P_Mod&User ~~~~~~~~~~ This is the Moderator and User conference. In this conference, users and moderators can work out any problems or differences they may have regarding Network rules. This conference is forced private, in order to eliminate unwanted side opinions from third parties. Make sure you correctly spell the names of your message's recipients. * All Hubs/Nodes are required to carry this conference * Moderating principles ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please try stimulating callers be active, responsible participants. Given half a chance, they will all be very cooperative. You might say "hi" to new users, introduce discussion subjects, post messages, ask questions, be a "user" yourself in other words. Keep your conference active, in order to prevent its discontinuation. As conference moderator, you are given a free hand to run your conference. You must be fair and even-handed in the way you resolve problems or decide issues. You are responsible to see that PetNET network's rules are all observed within your conference, and that all callers are addressed with courtesy, and dignity. As a moderator, please be aware of the PetNET's concerns. Our concern is to be friendly, easy going, popular, and try to understand our users needs. If a fellow Moderator disagrees with something you are doing, he/she could decide to send you a POLITE message in P_Mod&SysOp conference. Please be open minded, and prepared to consider their concerns, IF they do. You may decide to change your methods, and (or) policy. Or, you may re-confirm that they are the right way to handle things. That is your choice. Try to keep an open mind, and always reply and acknowledge other's concerns. In some cases, it is possible that the PetNET Administrator, the Network Supervisor, Conference Liaison, or their designee(s) will ask that policy be CHANGED in your conference. We don't expect this to happen often, but you should be prepared for the possibility of OFFICIAL review, and (or) advice and suggestions from the PetNET(tm) officials. Moderators shall remain the conference leaders until they resign, or until the PetNET net Administrator, net SysOps or their designee(s) will ask you to step down. If a moderator wishes to resign, we ask that 1-2 week notice be given if at all possible. You, as a Moderator have the duty to NOT only inform of problems, or violations in your OWN conference(s), but you should kindly inform the Administration in P_Mod&SysOp of ANY violations of the PetNET(tm) rules, or conflicts in ANY and ALL conferences. In such case, post a private message to the Network Administrator explaining what you've noticed, and the conference name. We request this, since not all of our conferences have Moderators at any given time, and not all their Moderators are as experienced or courteous as you might be. Moderators are required to scan and read, all messages, addressed to all, in all required conferences that they have access to, including, but not limited to: 1. P_Chit Chat 2. P_Mod&User 3. P_Mod&SysOp Moderators are required to immediately answer to all messages originating from PetNET officials, or their fellow moderators. Moderators should be prepared to diplomatically deal with eventual fights between users, brands, product bashing by users, attempts of callers to use your conference(s) for selling, advertising their merchan- dise or other networks, profane language, encoded messages, etc. If you have a problem PetNET user: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The majority of callers are great. Please let them know this in as many ways as possible, and use all means to keep their interest and posts. You may answer questions about the nature of the conference, or messages containing any subject a regular caller might post in your conference. In general, moderation should be done in public. Keep your moderation fair, and try to let the people decide too. Please do not put the administration in an us vs. them situation. A caller that goes bad mouth you, and our net, will influence other maybe 10 callers not to even try it. We do not want our PetNET(tm) participating NetSysOps to have a difficult time with their local users. Think what would happen if we would actually require moderators to bring a new caller for each one they push out. Some nets do require this. Before acting on an impulse, perhaps count how many users you brought to PetNET(tm). If they weren't too many, try and don't break their posting moods, making them to feel bad in your "home". In the event there is a problem with a caller, we ask you to first inform them in as friendly a fashion as possible of the problem. This is an INFORMAL, (friendly, informative, humorous), message. A good number of problems can be cleared up if your approach doesn't escalate the problem. Give her/him an advice. Might be a new user, that didn't realize of the requirements, conference purpose, etc. Remember to leave sufficient time for your messages to reach the caller, and be reflected in their messages. Messages may cross in the mail, and we shouldn't punish someone for (any) e-mail delays. If the offender RECEIVED your friendly, informal message and, on purpose ignored it, continuing their improper behavior, issue formal warning(s). Now is the time to quote from your previously well designed conference descriptions, PetNET(tm) rules, etc. Something like this should do: "Dear conference participant, This is the SECOND/THIRD/FOURTH, etc. time you are breaking the net's, or this conference rule(s) that states: ______________________________ If you shall not, immediately, correct, or stop this problem, you will risk losing access to this conference or Net, for a period of ? day(s). You are hereby expected to respond to this message, stating that you will take measures to correct the (specified) problem(s). If you shall require extended discussions about this, please follow me in the P_Mod&User conference. Thank you, Your Name, P_xyz conference Moderator. " Do not respond to users (other than the offender) while you are moderating, and mark your messages PRIVATE while in the the P_Mod&User conference. Suspension, is a serious tool in the moderation process: when needed, it should be used without hesitation. It should NOT be needed often though, since most problems are resolved at the informal warning stage. In the event that you are absolutely SURE that this caller received your previous messages, and is continuing to ignore you, keeping to violate the rules: SUSPEND them OUT of your conference. To do this, leave them a message that reads something like: "You have been hereby given a ? day(s) suspension from this conference, for ignoring my previous warning(s), and breaking the following: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ At the end of this suspension, please post a message in the P_Mod&User to both me, and your local SysOp reminding us to re-allow you access. You will be again, welcome, to participate in this conference, provided you are willing to abide by rules." Then, send a message to the caller's sysop, (in the P_Mod&SysOp), informing of the suspension, and requesting for the user to be denied access to this particular conference, in which the violation occurred, for ? day(s), together with the reason, and forward proof messages of all your preventive attempts to peacefully moderate this caller. When a caller returns from a suspension, they should be welcome back. Please have a friendly attitude towards them. You are representing our Network, and many NetSysOps that are sometimes spending long distance phone charges for their PAID users. This user have already paid for the consequences of his/her action. If they persist in the behavior that got them suspended, or KNOWINGLY, again, break rules, give them a FORMAL warning, and notify their local sysop, and the PetNET(tm) Network Supervisor, in the P_Mod&Sysop conf. We have a good TWIT program at the National Hub, and we can help, in case you temporarily don't seem to be able to stop a particular caller from "bombing" the net, etc. In that case, just inform us of the violation, the user's name, and the board he calls from. We'll make sure his messages will stop dead at the Hub, without being echoed anywhere... You shouldn't have to though. His/her NetSysOp should timely cooperate, enforcing your Moderation decisions/lockouts! Conference Descriptions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Moderators are required to propose their own conference descriptions, if they aren't already available at the time of their appointment. For the conference description, what the Network Administration requires from moderators, is to write approximately 3-7 lines, describing the conference purpose, and (where applicable), what is allowed to be discussed in the conference and what is not. To give you an example, if I was going to write a conference description for the AIDS conference, I would suggest that bashing of people that admit to have the virus wouldn't be tolerated, so that MY conference will be "problem free", and I will be able to moderate out potential flames, based on my conference description. Remember that rules can *only* be enforced if they exist. Some moderators are bolder than others, and we're ready to hear all kind of proposals and flavors for their conferences descriptions and policies, one thing all of you must have in mind is LEGAL LIABILITY. If a lawyer gives legal advice in the Law conference, and then the caller looses his or her case, we have a potential problem. Why? because people often sue to try and make a buck, and we wouldn't want to be in that situation, having callers attempting to sue our BBS's. Not all conference descriptions are perfect on our net, but if you want to get an idea, look at the other conference descriptions contained in the RULES.ZIP file, and there's some examples of common adjustments that we've worked on, in the P_Mod&SysOp conference. Read all posts there. This task is often our first contact with a "will be" moderator of a conference, and while we wouldn't consider it challenging, at least it shows if the candidate has basic writing skills that would enable him/her to to act in an official capability while moderating some of our (sometimes) sophisticated users. Keep away from the "one line - over simplified" descriptions. If it is too small, it is probably too vague, and has the potential for future interpretation and arguments by callers. You might save some time now, but in the long run will have problems with the occasional drop-ins which "didn't know that this was suppose to be . . . and not . . ." Example of a too simple, vague description: " P_African/Americans = Conference for americans talking about Africa " One common mistake is when you put more than 70 characters on one line. When you have a rough ready, spell check it, and put in next to the other ones, to see how it looks, in this format, double underline the title: ..3............16....................................................70 P_Modeling Here we talk about professional modeling, pageants, ΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ fashion, fashion photographers, modeling scams, and a variety of related issues. Every once in a while, if you're lucky, you might even come across a real, live professional model who will respond to you. ..3............16....................................................70 Some might be wondering why us, here, at the ADM don't just impose these conference descriptions for all of our Moderators to just follow. That is to allow our hosts to bring their personality and flavor to their own conferences. Let's say you'll be the photo moderator, and you have a rather large following of callers that will discuss about antique cameras. In that case, you would want to include a few words to announce that "Show and Antique Cameras will be something fun to talk about", in your conference, as well. All conference description proposals/modifications are to be posted in the P_Mod&Sysop conference and NOT anywhere else, and are subject for Review, Modification, and Approval by the Conference Liaison AND also by the PetNET(tm) Administration and their designee(s). In order to reduce confusion, add a header before posting your actual conference description, something like: "Hello, Thank you for your future participation in the discussions here. While being your conference Host, I am routinely re-posting the conference description and guidelines for this P_XYZ conference, as a reminder, and for your enjoyment: P_xyzyxya: Here goes that 70 character per line description. _____ ΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ For a more complete PetNET(tm) guidelines, please see the rules, posted at your local BBS. Happy Modem-ing, Your P_xyzgugu conference Host, Your Name, ____________________ " When it comes to re-posting your conference guidelines: Every month or so should do, depending on each of your conference(s) particular traffic amount, and if they've been recent off-topic messages, or violations in your conference(s). Use your own judgement, but do not over do it. Current PetNET(tm) List of Conference Moderators: ================================================ Cindi Linton: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ P_NetSysOps P_Mod&SysOps P_Mod&User P_Monkees Dimitri Vasiliev: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ P_CLHumour Darren Klein: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ P_Chit Chat P_For Sale P_BBS Ads P_Cellular P_Law P_Manage Weight Michael Stoney: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ P_Howard Stern Sharon Moore: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ P_Dogs P_Cats P_Fish Andrew Borrs ~~~~~~~~~~~~ P_SmallAnimals P_Reptiles&Snakes P_Hardware P_Fire/EMS Elliot Lehman ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ P_Audio P_Electronics P_Madonna P_Teens Bob Zuckerman ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ P_Photo/Video Rick Norton ~~~~~~~~~~~ P_Wildlife P_Automobiles P_Aviation P_BBSing P_Crimes P_Cuisine P_Drinking P_Ham Radio P_Hobbies P_Job Seeking P_Jobs Available P_Laptop Computers P_Modem Addicts P_Movies P_Mystery P_New Users P_Security P_Scanners/SWL P_Smoking P_Taglines P_Television Jon Arendt ~~~~~~~~~~ P_Windows P_Visual Basic COPYRIGHT ========= The presented text is a collective work, which is (c) Copyright 1994 PetNET(tm) New York. Any reproduction, modification or usage is expressly prohibited. All rights reserved WORLD WIDE.