旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � 靈커 靈爐� 靈커 켠� � 켠� 靈커 � � � 께 � � � � � � � � � � � � � 픔좆 � 께같 � 聃켸 � � � � � 켕� 懃켸 켕� � � � � � 께같 RULES AND 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 께같 REGULATIONS 께께께께께께께께께께께께께께께께께께께께께껐� 같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같� 1) PURPOSE AND DIRECTION OmniLink was founded to combat the dearth of technical related mail networks. Although we may carry a few technical related conferences, our major focus will be on fun, theme type conferences. Although expansion is not our major thrust, we will be adding hubs as the demand arises. Also in order to make the conferences more enjoyable we will be soliciting new members. 2) ADMINISTRATION OmniLink is administered from StarPort Omega, located in Clementon, NJ and is under it's sole control. Although we often seek input from our hubs and nodes, StarPort Omega will have the final say on all administrative matters and decisions. Memeber nodes are encouraged to make suggestions and comments as this will only make the network more enjoyable for all involved. 3) ORGANIZATION OmniLink is a QWK Packet mail network served by SuperRegional Hubs and Regional Hubs. Each Node will be assigned a unique node number consisting of their mail path. For instance, a node whose number is assigned as 2/5/23 is the 23rd node that transfers mail to the 5th Regional Hub in the 2nd SuperRegion. This will become important when the mail software can support direct node to node mail transfers. Mail is transfered along a tree. As a node, you will upload your mail to your Regional Hub, your Regional Hub will then transfer your mail along with all the other hubs mail in the Region to it's SuperRegional Hub. Your mail will then be forwared from the SuperRegional Hub to the National Distribution Site (which is StarPort Omega), from there, your mail is downloaded by ALL of the SuperRegional Hubs, then by ALL the Regional Hubs and finally by ALL the nodes in the Network. By this method your mail is distributed throughout the network. Initially, until the network gets large enough, StarPort Omega will also act as a SuperRegional Hub (1) and a Regional Hub (1/1). Anyone reporting to either of these two Hubs numbers will by nature have mail transferred faster as they are leapfrogging the network tree. We will continue to act in these capacities until the network is large enough to support more Hubs. OmniLink has 4 basic positions within the network to help expitite processing and make the network more enjoyable to its users. They are the positions of SuperRegional Hub, Regional Hub, Node and Moderator. The last postions is open to individuals and not BBS Systems themselves. A) NODE 1) APPLICATION FORM BBS Systems may apply for memebership in OmniLink by filling out the APPLYFRM.TXT file contained in this archive and posting it as a private message to NILES BISHOP in the OMNITALK conference on the BBS System that will be acting as your Regional Hub. Valid Regional Hubs are those Nodes on the NodeList that have a HUB name associated with them. 2) SYSOP REQUIREMENTS It is the decision of the founding memebers of the network that membership be limited to BBS Systems whose SysOps are at least 21 years of age or older. Although there are many BBS's run by minor SysOps, we feel that the incusion of BBS's with minor SysOps tends to be problematic. 3) SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS A) FULL TIME BBS BBS's applying for admission to OmniLink must be full time boards and must be accessable to users 24 hours a day, with the obvious exception of down time for maintenance and the dreaded system crash. B) NETMAIL SOFTWARE The BBS's must be capable of running NETMAIL Software that can create and insert QWK mail packets. This is not the same as a Mail Door. Mail Doors create QWK packets and insert REP packets. NETMAIL software does the reverse, it creates REP packets and inserts QWK packets. The NETMAIL Software must be able to create compliant NETMAIL taglines as in the following example: --- � NSFT 1.0 � OmniLink � BBS Name � BBS Location � Phone # or optionally if the message included a user tagline that is compliant it should recognize it and configure as follows: --- � MailReader 1.0 � This is a user tagline � NSFT 1.0 � OmniLink � BBS Name � BBS Location � Phone # where NSFT 1.0 is the name and version number of your NETMAIL software. The netmail software must be able to attach your Hosts Network Tag also. The following NetMail Software packages are already approved for use on this Network. If the software you wish to use is not listed, please upload the ShareWare version of it to StarPort Omega so that we may evaluate it. APPROVED NETMAIL SOFTWARE ======================== PCBOARD RNET, QNET You may download copies of any of the software on our approved list from StarPort Omega, Confernce 7 or any other BBS that carries them. Generally the best place to look is the support BBS for your BBS Software. C) REQUIRED CONFERENCES & RESTRICTIONS Although you may carry as many or as few conferences there are certain conferences that are either required or restricted or both. 1) NET ADMIN This conference is required so that we may post messages that are important to the administration of the network such as annoucements of new conferences or new nodes or any other matter that we feel will be of importance to the SysOps who are members of OmniLink This conference may only be accessable to the BBS SysOp and their Co-SysOps. A Co-SysOp, for our definition, is any person you nominate and have given access to drop to your operating system. If you do not trust them with your system, we don't trust them in this confernence. 2) OMNITALK This conference is required so that we may have at least one public conference that every BBS carries so that a user can use it to send a message to any memeber of OmniLink. 3) SYSOP RETREAT Although this conference is not required, if a Node does carry it, it's membership must be restricted to verified SysOps. This means that you have personally called their boards and verified that they are a SysOp and currenty running a board. The age of the SysOp for purposes of inclusion to this conference does not matter. 4) MODERATOR This conference is required by any Node who has a member that is a Conference Moderator. Moderators must register with us as to who their "Home" BBS will be and we will inform that Node that they must carry the conference. Do not take the Moderators word as the user may be pretending to be a moderator (you may of course suspend this rule if YOU are the conference moderator). Access to this base may only be given to the SysOp and the approved CoSysOps and the Conference Moderator. B) REGIONAL HUB From time to time, OmniLink may find it benificial to promote a node to the status of Regional Hub. Any node asked to be a Regional Hub may decline without any adverse affect as we know that not all SysOp have either the resourses or the inclination to be Regional Hubs. There ar only 6 requirements to being a Regional Hub. 1) CONFERENCES Regional Hubs must carry all OmniLink Conferences so that there associated nodes may pick and choose from the full gamut of conferences available 2) SYSTEM NODES Regional Hubs must have at a minimum of two nodes (or dial in lines). Regional Hubs need not dedicate a line to mail runs but we feel that the added traffic requires two lines so that nodes calling in for mail runs do not encounter busy signals that will prevent them from running mail. 3) MAIL DOOR Regional Hubs must have a mail door capable of supporting Net Status flags, Network Node Numbers compliant with OmniLink's configuration as described above, be able to accept mail that is not from the logged user, reject duplicate messages and does not in any way alter or attach text to mail that passes through it. The mail door must also be able to support TrashCanned users. If the mail door is not on the approved list, please follow the same procedure for getting a NETMAIL program approved above. APPROVED MAIL DOORS =================== PCBOARD QMAIL 4) MAIL RUNS Regional Hubs must call their SuperRegional Hub on a daily basis, preferably by an automated event early in the morning or at a time set up with the SuperRegional Hub. 5) TRASHCANNING USERS Ocassionally, moderators will request that a user be either temporarily or permanently removed from OmniLink. The Network Administrator will make the determination and inform the Hubs via the NetAdmin Conference that a user should be added to the list of TrashCanned users to keep their mail from entering the network. 6) NODE ACCOUNTS Regional Hubs will need to create accounts for each of the nodes that will be reporting to them. The only access that the nodes need be given is access to the mail door and access to the OmniLink Conferences. C) SUPERREGIONAL HUBS On very rare events a Regional Hub will be promoted to the status of SuperRegional Hub. There are no additional requirements for being a SuperRegional Hub. D) MODERATORS From time to time, it is in the best interest of OmniLink to pass the responsibility of watching over and fostering the development of a conference over to a user in the network. The user need only be a person who is active in the network and can call their host BBS on a daily or every other day basis. Requirements to become a moderator and responsibilities are as follows: 1) MESSAGE POSTING The moderator is responsible for fostering the message traffic in their conference. This generally means that there should be at least one message a day in the conference, even if it is only from the moderator. From our experience, users log onto BBS's in reply mode. If there are no messages in a conference for a user to reply to, none will ever get written, therefore it is incumbent on the moderator to post messages that will spark conversation in their conference. 2) RULES INFRACTIONS Moderators are required to make sure that messages to not start to get off-topic or debates become flame wars in nature. To do this, the moderater is allowed to invoke several steps. 1) FORMAL WARNING The moderator may post a formal warning to the user. This is best handled as a public message basically stating why the offending message is not acceptable and should be worded in a general fashion so as not to offend the user. The user is given 7 days to correct their action unless it is flagerant and unrelenting. This is to allow time for the warning to reach the user. 2) CEASE & DESIST After 7 days is the user has not changed his actions, the moderator should post a private message to the user that if they do not cease and desist their actions they will be given a 60 day vacation from OmniLink. The users name should be posted in the Modrators Conference so that the Network Administrators can monitor what is going on. Again, the user is offered 7 days to rectify their actions. 3) REQUEST SUSPENSION If the moderator feels that the user has not conformed to policy, they can leave a message in the moderators conference requesting that the user be suspended from the network for a period of 60 days. The decision to suspend will be made by the Network Administrator and the moderator will be notified of the decision. 4) PROBATION After a users suspension is up, they will be placed on a 90 day probation period whereby additional infractions of the same type will cause expulsion from the net. The moderator must post the request for expulsion in the Moderator Conference which will be reviewed by the Network Administrator and the Moderator will be notified. 4) GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS A) NO ADULT MATERIAL OmniLink is not an Adult Network. Language must be constrained to what you would normally see on TV during prime time hours on the regualar broadcast stations. Innuendo and insunuation are fine so long as they do not become blatent or descriptive. Again, if you could put it on the air in prime time, it is probably OK on the network. B) TOPICALLITY Comments made on a base should pertain to the conference that they are written on. The only exception to this is the OmniTalk conference, which by it's nature is a general message base. C) FLAME MAIL No mail may be posted whose sole intent is to infuriate another user. This includes insults, racial slurs or anything that can be taken as a personal attack against a user. D) ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES Illegal activities will not be tollerated on the net and any messages found discussing the commiting of a crime will be promptly turned over to the authorities.