ÛÛ ÜÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÛÛÜÛÛß ÛÛÜÜÜÛß ÛÛÜÜÜÛß ÛÛÜÜÜÜ ÛÛßÛÛÜ ÛÛßßßÛÛ ÛÛßßßÛÛ ßßßßÛÛ ÛÛ ßÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛß ßÛÛÛÛÛß Distribution System Policy Anderson Research, Inc. (ARI) Effective December 16, 1994 STRUCTURE --------- When a new version of KBBS (or another KBBS related file) is released, it is immediately transmitted to Zone sites from the ARI headquarters. From Zone sites the latest versions are downloaded by the Regional sites. SysOps and Authorized Distribution (AD) sites download the latest versions from the Regional sites, and distribute KBBS to the general public. The structure looks like this: --------------- ----- Regional...........| | |----- Regional...........| The | ---- Zone |----- Regional...........| | | |----- Regional...........| General | ARI---| |----- Regional...........| | | |----- Regional...........| Sysop | | ----- Regional...........| | | | Population | | ----- Regional...........| | | |----- Regional...........| | ---- Zone |----- Regional...........| | |----- Regional...........| | |----- Regional...........| | |----- Regional...........| | | | | | ---- AD..| | ----- Regional |---- AD..| | |---- AD..| | |---- AD..| | |. | | . | | . | | ---- AD..| | --------------- ARI will also have Regional sites, and the Zones may have AD sites, but these are exceptions to the general structure, and limited. AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTION (AD) SITE STATUS ---------------------------------------- To obtain Authorized Distribution (AD) Site status, you must 1. CONTACT A REGIONAL SITE Contact and get permission from a Regional (or Zone) site to get KBBS updates from them. This includes filling out a brief questionnaire, which the Regional site will post to ARI. It is the Regional sites' decision whether to accept or reject the applying AD site based on the application. In addition, ARI reserves the right to revoke distributor status from any site, without explanation or prior warning. Refer to the SITELIST for a list of KBBS Distribution sites. 2. ECHO ARINET AD Sites must echo the ARInet conferences. This doesn't have to be through the Regional site, although such relationship is preferred, and may be required by some Regional sites in order to expedite communications and distribution via file attachments. AD Sites must continue to echo ARInet as long as they wish to be an AD Site. We request that Authorized Distribution sites make the ARI-KBBS and ARI-SEQ conferences available to non-subscribing callers. This doesn't have to be on a "first call" basis, since the sysop needs to use discretion on user verification, etc., to make sure we don't get a lot of noise in the ARI-KBBS conference (i.e. punks, twits or d00ds that you have locked out of the system, etc.) Access to the other ARInet conferences is left to the control of the sysop. 3. MAKE KBBS AVAILABLE AD Sites MUST make the MAIN KBBS Shareware files and updates available for download on a first call basis. This doesn't include the Dictionaries, scripts, utilities, or any other ARI distributed files except for the KBBS/Shareware and update archives. The general requirement is that AD sites obtain the latest KBBS distribution updates at least once per week (7 days). Regional sites are authorized to regulate the times and requirements for obtaining the updates, which includes requiring a more frequent updating period. When applying for AD Site status, sysops should inquire beforehand of the specific requirements of the Regional site. OUR SELECTION OF ZONE SITES --------------------------- Please understand that being a zone site is not intended as an honor above and beyond that of any other site. It's the same job, just a different place in the tree. The selection of our two zone sites was based only on Geography and ARI's accessibility to them. It was not based on quality of system. We will be adding additional Zone sites as soon as things are rolling a little more smoothly. ARI will also perform 2 or more mail runs to the Zone sites on a daily basis, and Zone sites will always have ALL of the latest ARI releases. WHAT A ZONE SITE DOES --------------------- The Zone sites responsibilities: 1. Zone sites are responsible for tracking the activity of the Regional and AD Sites that obtain updates from them, to make sure the sites are obtaining the updates in a timely manner, and to make sure they are complying with ARI rules and requirements. ARI will be operating as a Zone site on a limited basis only. Refer to the TRACKING section below for tracking number format. 2. Zone sites are to seek out and assign Regional site status to other systems, and to relay such information to ARI. Zone sites will also assign the Regional sites a Regional Site number. We are leaving this process completely to the discretion of the Zone sites. However, ARI reserves the right to revoke distributor status from any site, without explanation or prior warning. 3. It is the Zone sites' responsibility to replace the tracking number in the REGISTER.FRM with their own number in their KBBS archives before placing them online. 4. Zone sites may also operate as Regional Sites as outlined below, but this is not required. REGIONAL SITES -------------- To be a Regional site, you must: 1. GET APPROVAL Be approved for Regional site status by a Zone site or ARI. The number of Regional sites may be limited, based on how many sites a Zone establishes as easily manageable. 2. SAME REQUIREMENTS AS AD SITE Regional sites must comply with the basic requirements of an Authorized Distribution site. 3. SETUP AD SITES It is the Regional Sites' job to approve BBS's for Authorized Distribution Site status, requiring them to complete a brief questionnaire that is transmitted to ARI if the site is approved. Regionals will assign Distribution Site numbers to the AD Sites (see TRACKING below for tracking number format). The questionnaire must include the following information: PUBLIC INFORMATION (will be printed in our Site List) BBS Name SysOp Name Location (city, state or country) Public access telephone number(s) Modem speed Selected Regional site for obtaining distribution files Selected ARInet hub for echoing ARInet PRIVATE INFORMATION (for use by ARI only) Mailing Address Voice Telephone Number Date of Birth Obtain DISTSITE.ZIP which contains a SEQ to allow sites to apply for AD Site status online. Regional sites are in CONTROL of the distribution sites, and may establish policy that applies only to that region, including, but not limited to, the following: a. Regional Sites have may assign "District" status to certain AD Sites, and require other AD Sites to call such District sites. This should be done if the Regional Site is getting too much traffic to handle all AD Sites on a one-on-one basis. b. Regional Sites may establish a schedule when AD sites may download the updates, and any other Regional-level policy that the Regional Site deems necessary. PROBLEM SOLVING --------------- If you are having problems with another site, you should attempt to resolve it privately with the other site. If the problem needs greater attention, AD Sites should report problems to Regional Sites and Regional Sites should report problems to Zone Sites. NOTE: At ANY TIME, problems or conflicts may be discussed personally and confidentially with ARI. REWARD SYSTEM ------------- We will award Success Points to the sites responsible for distributing KBBS to a sysop that registers. Refer to TRACKING below for the method of tracking such registrations. Success Points will be redeemable at ARI for computer hardware and other products, as listed and made available by ARI. These products will become available in February, 1995, but the Success Point awarding will begin immediately. For each registration received at ARI, the responsible sites will receive the following number of Success Points: Site Points -------- ------ AD Sites 4 (Districts) 1 Regionals 1 If a registration is received containing a Regional Site tracking number, the Regional site will receive Success Points for both the Regional (1) and AR Site (4) level (for a total of 5). If a registration is received containing a District Site tracking number, the District site will receive Success Points for both the District (1) and AR Site (4) level (for a total of 5) and the Regional Site will receive one (1) Success Point. If a registration is received containing an AR Site tracking number, the AR site will receive four (4) success points, the District Site will receive one (1) Success Point, and the Regional Site will receive one (1) Success Point. Zone sites, if acting as Regional Sites, will be treated as Regional Sites. Other compensation for the work of Zone Sites will be discussed with Zone Site sysops. TIPS FOR SUCCESS ---------------- If you wish to earn a lot of success points as a distributor of KBBS, here are some tips: 1. Make sure the KBBS updates are posted on your system quickly, and make sure they contain the REGISTER.FRM with YOUR tracking number on the inside. 2. Upload the latest versions to all of the local BBS's in your area. Talk to the sysops and suggest that they give KBBS a try. 3. Upload KBBS files to the long distance systems you frequent, and other online services. 4. Contact your local Computer Users groups and tell them about KBBS. Write a KBBS review article for their newsletter. 5. Generate more business for your own BBS by notifying local computer retail stores that you run a public BBS and offer an introductory service to your system to customers from their store. Other businesses to contact about KBBS and your own BBS: software developers, appliance/department stores (that also sell computers), your local Chamber of Commerce, Universities and Trade Colleges, Union chapters, public service radio/television stations and local government offices. Offer a free 30 day trial access to your system. Make coupons for the 30 day access with instructions for calling your system and leave them at banks, insurance offices, real estate offices, convenience stores, furnature stores, university media/library/computer centers, etc. (Always ask permission to do so, and be sure check the laws and regulations for your area and comply with any restrictions that may apply to such advertising methods.) 6. Get your BBS posted in various magazine BBS lists (Comptuer Shopper, Online Magazine, etc.) and use "Running KBBS" and "KBBS Distribution Site" to describe your system. This is usually a free listing service provided by these magazines. 7. Talk about KBBS in your echo/mail nets with other sysops and tell them the latest version is available on your BBS. Talk about specific features about KBBS that you like. TRACKING -------- ARI will determine the responsible sites by the number posted in the REGISTER.FRM, distributed in the major KBBS/Shareware distribution archives. These numbers are assigned by Zone and Regional sites, and are structured as follows: ZRRR.(DDD)SSS SSS = Authorized Distribution Site number, assigned by the Regional Site, 1 if a District, Region or Zone site (DDD) = If the Regional Site establishes District Sites, the District Site number will appear in parenthesis RRR = The Regional Site number, assigned by the Zone Sites, or 1 if a Zone site Z = The Zone Site identifier from one of the following zone sites: A = ARI, Megalopolis, Keith Anderson E = East Zone, Yankee Network BBS, Wayne Labonte W = West Zone, Mountains West, Ted Smith Examples: W1.001 The Western Zone site number E1.001 The Eastern Zone Site number W25.003 Western zone, Region 25, site 3 number W25.(2)003 Western zone, Region 25, district 2, site 3 number W25.(2)001 Western zone, Region 25, district 2 number It is the responsibility of EACH INDIVIDUAL SITE SYSOP to place this number in the REGISTER.FRM of the KBBS distribution archives. We cannot track registrations based on hearsay or any other method than the submitted REGISTER.FRM. QUESTIONS --------- Any questions or problems with this policy should be discussed in the ARI-Sites conference (previously ARI-DemoSites).