------------------------------------------------------------------------- GENIUSnet EchoMail Systems - Policies And Network Goals As Of July, 1994. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, Operating Systems, Qmodem Support] to non-computer related areas [Free Speech, Movies And Videos, 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 Network Host, 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's method of message distribution is broken down into several areas, those being: INTERNATION ECHO COORDINATOR - The focal point of mail distribution. The IEC is Darryl L. Pierce, System Operator of The Vampyre Bar! BBS, located in Worcester, Massachusettes, USA. ZONE ECHO COORDINATOR - Similar in responsibility and authority to the IEC, a ZEC is the focal point of message distribution for his/her particular zone (country) within the network. Zone hosts perform mail runs solely with either the IEC or a designated Zone Gateway. ZONE GATEWAY - A special site who performs gateway calls between two different zones within the network. REGIONAL ECHO COORDINATOR - The next level down within the network infra- structure. An REC performs outgoing mailruns only with their ZEC. An REC has resposibility for a particular portion of their zone (ie, multiple states or territories). NETWORK ECHO COORDINATOR - The main distribution point for a particular state or portion of a state (ie, areacode for larger states). The NEC is directly responsible for the nodes who carry the network in their area. NECs perform mailruns directly with their RECs and are the main distribution sites for all systems within their area. NETWORK HUB - A special site that distributes mail to systems in their local calling area. A hub system must gain approval from their REC before allowing other systems to poll their system for network mail.* NETWORK NODE - All BBSs within the network are cosidered a node, whether they perform another duty within the network (NEC, REC, etc...). But, as used in this context, a node is a BBS within the network that does have another system that performs mailruns off of them. Nodes call either their NEC or an approved Network Hub for mailruns. Gnet is broken down into this heirarchy to defer long distance toll charges that would normally be present without a specialized distribution system. This system also improves the speed with which messages are distributed throughout the network. * - Since the advent of offline mail doors and other methods of reading mail offline, points are globally disallowed within Gnet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIGURE1.1 - Network Layout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NETWORK (or ZONE) HOST 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� OTHER ZONES � REC � 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� NEC NEC NEC 旼컴컴컴좔컴컴커 � � HUB HUB � � � � � HUB 旼컴코컴컴� 旼컴旼컴컴粕 � � NODE � NODE NODE � � 旼컴쩡컴쩡컴좔컴쩡컴쩡컴� � NODE 旼컴컴켸 NODE NODE NODE NODE NODE NODE NODE HUB 旼컴컴컴컨컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 旼컨컴커 � NODE NODE � 旼컴컴컴좔컴컴� NODE NODE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [NOTE: This layout describes the routing for one Region and three Networks.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part III - Breakdown Of GENIUSnet's Council ------------------------------------------- PRESIDENT - The position of President is a "lifetime" position held by the IEC, Darryl L. Pierce, founder of GENIUSnet EchoMail Systems. All final decisions concerning the administration of the network are ratified by this position. VICE PRESIDENT - The Vice President is responsible solely to the President of the network. Duties include dissemination of networks rules and direct over- seeing of the Steering Committe. The Vice President of Gnet is Scott Boerke. STEERING COMMITTEE - The Steering Committee is a group of dedicated network system operators who lend a guiding hand to the actual day to day activities of the network. Currently, the NSC consists of the following subcommittees: o Administration - (Chairman, Michael Nelson @ 100:609/1) - This committee handles the dissemination of network policies. Any questions concerning actual interpretations and decisions concerning the policies of the net- work are handled by this committee. o Network Conferences - (Chairman, None currently) - This committee is responsible for maintaining the quality and integrity of the echoed conferences. They also oversee the moderators and ensure that each conference is moderated. o Recruitment - (Chairman, Darryl L. Pierce @ 100:100/0) - This committe finds new ways of attracting new nodes into the network. They also maintain a close relationship with the Administration subcommittee to ensure that network policies are maintained while approving new nodes into the network. This committee consists mainly of RECs. 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 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 the ANSI/RIP GRAPHICS 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 being 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 that network conference globally. a...Personal attacks now include verbal attacks made on the Network itself as well as the users within the network. 6...Handles and alias are not allowed. Gnet is an upfront system, and all users are expected to use their real name. a...Handles may only be accepted in the ADULTS conference, since some users would prefer to remain anonymous. 7...All BBSs within the network must carry the following conferences: GENIUSnet Administration GENIUSnet Chat GENIUSnet Moderators GENIUSnet Users If a BBS within the network does not decide to carry all available conferences, then they should make 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 who are not members of Gnet is strictly prohibited. A BBS may not echo Gnet messages until they have been granted Node status by their Host/Hub. Gateways to other networks is the sole domain of the Network Host and may not be performed by other systems except under special arrangement with 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..The Network Echomail Hours are determined by the NECs for their particular areas. This allows each NEC to determine when the best time to poll his/her system is and avoids having a forced time that may prove inappropriate to some NECs. 13..Unless otherwise allowed by an Echo Coordinator (on any level) nodes *MUST* perform mail runs with the NECs only. This avoids unnecessary delays in mail travel time and also provides overall consistency within the network. 14..These policies may be amended at any time without prior notice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GENIUSnet EchoMail Systems "Intelligence And Diversity In Quality And Quantity" Please refer all inquiries to: Darryl Pierce The Vampyre Bar! BBS Bridgeton, NJ - GENIUSnet Network Host (100:100/0) (609) 453-9096 (data) HST Dual Standard 14.4k Or to your nearest Echo Coordinator.