
 ����������������������������������������������������������������������������Ŀ
 � The Intelec Network - 5 Year Anniversary Get-Together - West Coast Edition �
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 �  Sat. 09/17/94 - For info  msg Sharon Devol in the Gatherings Conference.  �
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 � Open to any and all Intelec Users, Moderators  and SysOps. Meet the people �
 � behind the messages! Make new friends or meet those you've been posting to �
 � for the past few years. A good time will be had by all! Cliff Watkins will �
 � be there, will you? For details, please drop a note to Sharon Devol in the �
 � Intelec Gatherings Conference. More Info To Follow. Hope to see you there! �
 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������

   Excerpts From The IN Basket:  Notes From The Administrator - Cliff Watkins

       The Intelec Network is currently 350+ BBS's strong. It is no small
       number but it leaves room for growth.  We have taken many measures
       to ensure that our nodelist is more accurate than most other nets,
       of which some are really very much "over-inflated"! So when we say
       350 members we mean 350 actively relaying BBS's! Our membership is
       very professional. By giving most of our hub SysOps  the authority
       to approve or decline boards,  we have been able to attract SysOps
       who are far better suited for where the Intelec Network is headed.

       How will Intelec handle this growth? Those of you who have seen it
       already know what I mean by "bigger isn't always better". The only
       way for bigger to be better is to maintain the level of quality. I
       have always strived to keep Intelec the highest quality network in
       the entire BBS community. Can we maintain this level of quality in
       the future even with our impending growth? Absolutely!  How?  With
       respect. Those who do not know how to deal with the public in this
       manner will not be welcome.  Swiftness in enforcing policy is also
       important. When problems pop up they are jumped on.  Problem users
       are removed faster than ever before. Some have felt that users are
       removed unjustly or prematurely, but after careful evaluation it's
       just not so. No users are ever removed from Intelec without cause.

       Intelec currently supports QWK & FTS formats  and may be available
       via FTP by the end of the summer to mid fall.  We do not currently
       support PostLink or PCRelay but we will be looking into other mail
       formats as technology develops better methods. FTS consists of any
       current Fido-compatible tosser usch as QFront, FidoPCB, Front Door
       or D'Bridge, etc.  Many thanks go Stacy Smith for all of his help!

       Due to some recent user-attacks I'm strongly urging SysOps to con-
       sider making Intelec unavailable to unvalidated users. Unvalidated
       users are much more likely to post profanity, or attempt to log on
       as someone who they are not. As this is a local level situation, I
       can only make the suggestion, it is in no way a network "mandate".
       But if a BBS is the repeated source of this type of problem, we'll
       most definately begin to reconsider that BBS's Intelec membership.

       As far as dupes and cross echoes,  all I can say is  "be careful".
       Until software supports fool-proof methods and standards, we're at
       the mercy of our config files. I suggest the use of utilities such
       as IS.EXE to check the "size" of the REP packet. If the REP packet
       is much larger than it should be it'll exit with an errorlevel you
       can use to branch off to somewhere else in your event  so that you
       DON'T upload it  and bomb the network  due to any config error you
       may have made. "IS" is available from the Intelec Host as IS20.ZIP
       and is freeware and a free download.  Any system that DOES bomb us
       once is *required* to run this  free utility,  as a second bombing
       would certainly result in removal or temporary suspension from the
       network.  Another problem that persists  is that a few rare SysOps
       are still running on auto-pilot. I can understand this from Nodes,
       I can't tolerate this from hubs. If you're a hub you asked for the
       responsibility, do not abuse it. Stay on top of things and add any
       conference that the nodes want if you aren't carrying all of them.
       ALL Intelec SysOps  are required to monitor NetAdmin for mail that
       is personal and mail that is to ALL from the administrator. When a
       SysOp is notified of a problem, a reply is required so we know the
       request is being "complied with". Failure to respond tends to show
       that the SysOp is not reading his or her personal mail and this is
       only going to prolong the  problem  the SysOp was contacted about.

       Aside from myself,  there is only one other "administrative" staff
       member at this time, the Chief Moderator, Rod Wardlow.  As Intelec
       grows we will consider increasing the administrative net staff. We
       also have as part of the Intelec team,  Newsletter Editor, Michael
       Anderson, and his assitant editor, Sharon Devol. On top of this, I
       feel there are other areas where the network needs help. We need a
       "marketing director" of sorts. We tried a monthly ad a while back,
       not very good results  but that was not due to us  but more due to
       where we advertised. Well it's time to think bigger.  I would like
       to establish an Marketing Director  with some bigger bolder ideas.
       Someone who can handle press releases, the organization of network
       events such as gatherings  or representation at ONEBBSCON, ComDex,
       and to possibly handle a  "print copy"  of our network newsletter.

       I also need to beef up recruiting efforts. I would like to develop
       a team that handles saturation of our distribution files and maybe
       even serve as an admissions channel for applicants thus freeing my
       time for more efficient administration. These are volunteer roles,
       but are no less important to the Intelec Network  than my role is.

       And if all these ideas require some form of a "marketing team" run
       by the director, I am all for it!  If interested in this Marketing
       Director volunteer role, please contact me in the Intelec NetAdmin
       conference.  If you have any suggestions,  we'd love to hear them.

