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F I D O N E T
Policy and Procedures Guide
Version 1
Chapter 1
OVERVIEW
FidoNet is an amateur electronic mail system. As such, all of its
participants and operators are non-paid volunteers. From its early
beginnings as a few friends swapping messages back and forth, it has
now grown to (October 1985) almost 500 different systems in four
countries.
FidoNet is now large enough that it would quickly fall apart of its
own weight unless some sort of structure and control were imposed on
it. Multinet operation provided the structure. Decentralized
management provided the control. This document is an attempt to
describe the procedures which have been developed to manage the
network.
1.1 The Levels of FidoNet
With the introduction of multinet Fido in early 1985, FidoNet has
developed a hierarchical structure, with the following levels:
The national coordinator; The national coordinator compiles all of
the node lists from all of the regions and networks and creates
the master node list, which is then distributed over the net.
The regional coordinator; The coordinator maintains the list of
independent nodes in his region, and encourages independents to
join existing nets or to form new nets. A coordinator does not
perform routing services for the nodes in his region.
The network host; The host is responsible for maintaining the list
of nodes for his net, and for receiving and forwarding any mail
coming to the net from outside.
The network routing hub; Network routing hubs exist only in three-
tiered regional nets. They generally share some or all of the
duties of the host, in order to ease the management of a large
regional net. The exact duties and procedures are a matter for
the host and his hubs to settle, and will not be discussed here.
The network host is still responsible for the maintenance of the
net.
The system operator (sysop); The sysop formulates his own policy
for running his board and dealing with his users, so that will not
be discussed in this document. However, the sysop must also mesh
with the rest of the FidoNet system if he is to send and receive
mail, and that will be discussed here.
The user; Policy and procedures for the individual user on any
given board is determined by the system operator of that board,
and will not be considered in this document.
Chapter 2
SYSOP PROCEDURES
A sysop of an individual node can pretty much do as he pleases, as
long as he observes the mail events and is not excessively annoying to
other nodes on the net and does not promote the distribution of
pirated copyrighted software.
An independent node which is not part of a regional net need only
observe the National Mail Hour.
National Mail Hour is the heart of FidoNet, as this is when network
mail is passed between systems. Any system which wishes to be a part
of FidoNet must be able to receive mail at this time. Failure to do
so is sufficient grounds for any node to be dropped from the net
without notice (since notice is generally given by FidoNet mail).
If you find yourself "in the dog house" (shown at the end of the
national node list), then that means that your host or coordinator is
unable to contact you. You should rectify the problem and report
back.
National Mail Hour is observed from 0900 to 1000 GMT every day,
weekends included. In each of the United States time zones, this
would be as follows:
Eastern Standard Time 4 AM to 5 AM
Central Standard Time 3 AM to 4 AM
Mountain Standard Time 2 AM to 3 AM
Pacific Standard Time 1 AM to 2 AM
Hawaii Standard Time 11 PM to Midnight
FidoNet does not observe daylight savings time. In areas which
observe daylight savings time the FidoNet mail schedules must be
adjusted in the same direction as the clock change. Alternatively,
you can simply leave your system on standard time.
If you are in a regional net, then you will probably be required to
schedule additional mail events. Check with your network host for
more details.
2.1 How to get a node number
You must first obtain a current node list, so that you can send mail.
You do not need a node number to send mail, but you must have one in
order for others to send mail to you.
The first step in obtaining a current node list is to locate a Fido
bulletin board. No help there; you're on your own. Most bulletin
board lists include at least a few Fido systems, and usually identify
them as such, so this shouldn't be too hard.
If the sysop of any Fido system does not have a node list available
for downloading, then he can probably tell you where to get one.
Once you have a node list, you must determine which net or region
covers your area. Nets are listed first, and always have a three
digit number. Nets are more restricted in area than regions, but are
generally preferred since they provide more services to their members.
If you cannot find a net which covers your area, then pick the region
which does. Regions are listed after nets in the node list, and
always have a two digit number. The United States is divided into ten
regions, so that you are certainly in a region even if you are not
near a net.
Once you have located the net or region in your area, send a request
for a node number to node zero of that net or region. The request
must be sent by FidoNet mail, and must include at least the following:
1) Your name.
2) Your current mailing address.
3) Your telephone number (voice).
4) The name of your system.
5) The city and state where your system is located.
6) The phone number to be used when calling your system.
7) Your hours of operation.
8) The maximum baud rate you can support.
Your host or coordinator may want additional information. If so, he
will contact you.
Please allow two weeks for a node number request to be processed.
2.2 If you are going down
If your node will be down for an extended period (more than a day or
two), then you should inform your network host or regional coordinator
as soon as possible. If you do not do this, then other systems will
still try to reach you while you are down, much to the annoyance of
everyone. Do not under any circumstances put an answering machine or
similar device on your phone line while you are down. If you do, then
calling systems will get the machine repeatedly, racking up large
phone bills, which is very annoying.
If your system goes down without warning, then you may be placed in
the dog house, or even removed from the node list completely.
2.3 How to join a net
If you are an independent node and would like to join a net in your
area, you must contact the network host. He can be reached by sending
FidoNet mail to node zero of the net. He will inform you of any
special mail schedules and/or routing required by the net. Your
regional coordinator will contact you to confirm that you wish to join
the net. Once you have been placed in the net, you will be informed
by the network host.
There are many advantages to being in a regional net. First and
foremost is that it helps reduce congestion of the net during National
Mail Hour. Also, many nets are "outbound" as well as "inbound", which
can substantially reduce your phone bills. In addition, net members
receive regular updates of the node list and Fidonews, while an
independent node may not.
2.4 How to form a net
If there are several nodes in your area, but no regional net, then you
may wish to form your own. Again, this has several advantages as
outlined above.
Your first step is to contact the other sysops in your area. You must
decide which nodes will comprise the net, and which of those nodes is
going to be the inbound host. Your next step is to inform your
regional coordinator. You must send him a FidoNet message with the
following information:
1) The region number(s), or network number(s) if a net is splitting
up, that are affected by the formation of your net. The regional
coordinator will inform the national coordinator and the hosts of
any affected networks that a new net is in formation.
2) The name that you wish to call your net. Please try to select a
name that relates to your grouping. For example, SoCalNet for
nodes in the Southern California Area and MassNet for
Massachusettes Area. Remember if you call yourself DOGNET it
doesn't help others know what area of the country your group is in.
3) A copy of the proposed net's nodelist. The nodelist file should be
named Frrr-nnn.NET where rrr is the proposed host's current region
or net number and nnn is his current node number. For example, if
the proposed host is currently listed as node 5 in region 13, then
you would name the file F013-005.NET. This file should be sent
attached to the message of application for a Net Number.
SAMPLE FORMAT OF A Frrr-nnn.NET FILE
Host,xxx,St_Louis_Area, St_Louis_MO,Ken_Kaplan, 1-314-432-4129,2400
Pvt ,076,Ben's_Bakery, Godfrey_IL, Ben_Baker, -Unpublished-, 1200
Down,482,Dirty_Ole_Man, Wood_Riv_IL,Ervin_Cole, 1-618-254-2763,1200
Down,004,Bulldog, St_Louis_MO,Tony_Clark, 1-314-441-9297,2400
,010,MDC_RCC, St_Louis_MO,Terry_Mueller, 1-314-232-6881,2400
,016,Mikes_Board, St_Louis_MO,Mike_Mellinger,1-314-726-3448,2400
Down,017,DCA_BBS, St_Louis_MO,Jon_Wichman, 1-314-962-2751,1200
Hold,022,PCLUG, St_Louis_MO,Ken_Kaplan, 1-314-576-2743,2400
,051,DECUS_Central, St_Louis_MO,Ken_Kaplan, 1-314-432-4129,2400
,339,Midnight_Cnct, St_Louis_MO,Ray_Weil, 1-314-961-1585,1200
Pvt ,492,Neu's_Node, Omaha_NB, Paul_Neu, -Unpublished-, 2400
Pvt ,500,Alex'_Fido, St_Louis_MO,Alex_Hartley, -Unpublished-, 1200
,501,ZIGGY's_Castle,Fenton_MO, Mike_Cravens, 1-314-225-9684,1200
,502,ALADINs_Castle,St_Louis_MO,Bob_Russ, 1-314-741-3050,1200
When the national coordinator receives the above items from the
regional coordinator, the information received will be verified and a
net number assigned. A FidoNet mail message will be sent to all
affected with the assigned net number.
Do not send a net number request to the national coordinator. All net
number requests must be processed by the regional coordinator first.
Chapter 3
HOST PROCEDURES
A network host has the following responsibilities:
1) To receive incoming mail for nodes in his network, and to deliver
it to its recipients.
2) To assign node numbers to nodes in his network.
3) To maintain the node list for his network, and to send a copy of it
to the national coordinator whenever it changes.
4) To pass along to his nodes new national node lists and new issues
of Fidonews as they are received.
5) To forward newsletter submissions to the Fidonews publisher.
3.1 Routing inbound mail
It is your responsibility as network host to receive all inbound mail
for nodes in your network and to forward it to its recipients. You
are left to your own discretion as to how best to accomplish this.
3.2 Assigning node numbers
It is your responsibility to assign node numbers to new nodes in your
net. You may also change the numbers of existing nodes in your net,
though you should check with your member nodes before doing so. You
may assign any numbers you wish, so long as each node has a unique
number within your net.
You should not assign a node number to any system unless and until you
have received a formal request from that system by FidoNet mail. This
will ensure that the system is at least minimally operational. The
strict maintenance of this policy has been one of the great strengths
of FidoNet.
3.3 Maintaining the node list
You should attempt to implement name changes, phone number changes,
etc. in your node list as soon as possible, and to forward the revised
node list to the national coordinator whenever a change occurs.
You should also on occasion send a "broadcast message" to every node
in your network to ensure that they are still operational. If a node
turns out to be "off the air" with no prior warning given to you, then
you can either mark the node as down, place it in the dog house, or
remove it from the node list completely, at your own discretion.
If a node in your net is acting in a sufficiently annoying manner,
then you can take whatever action you deem fit, according to the
circumstances of the case.
3.4 Passing along node lists and Fidonews
As a network host, you should from time to time receive a new issue of
Fidonews or an updated node list. The node list is posted weekly on
Friday, and Fidonews is published weekly on Monday.
You should pass both of these along to your member nodes as soon as is
practical after you receive them. It is also desirable that you make
them both available for downloading by the general user, but this is
not required.
Fidonews and the node lists are the glue that holds us together.
Without them, we cease to be a community, and become just another
bunch of bulletin boards.
3.5 Forwarding newsletter submissions
The node list gives us our structure, but Fidonews gives us our
character. Fidonews is the primary medium by which sysops hear from
each other. It is Fidonews which gives us the sense of being a
community of people with common interests.
Accordingly, you should encourage sysops and users in your net to
contribute to Fidonews. If you receive any submissions, you should
forward them to the Fidonews publisher. Think of yourself as being a
regional bureau chief on the Fidonews editorial staff.
Chapter 4
REGIONAL COORDINATOR PROCEDURES
A regional coordinator has the following responsibilities:
1) To assign node numbers to independent nodes in his region.
2) To maintain the node list for his region, and to send a copy of it
to the national coordinator whenever it changes.
3) To encourage independent nodes in his region to join existing nets,
or to form new nets.
4) To pass along to inbound hosts in his region new national node
lists and new issues of Fidonews as they are received.
5) To forward newsletter submissions to the Fidonews publisher.
4.1 Assigning node numbers
It is your responsibility to assign node numbers to new nodes in your
region. You may also change the numbers of existing nodes in your
region, though you should check with the respective nodes before doing
so. You may assign any numbers you wish, so long as each node has a
unique number within your region.
You should not assign a node number to any system unless and until you
have received a formal request from that system by FidoNet mail. This
will ensure that the system is at least minimally operational. The
strict maintenance of this policy has been one of the great strengths
of FidoNet.
If you receive a node number request from a new node that is in an
area covered by an existing regional net, then you should forward the
request to the network host instead of assigning a number yourself.
4.2 Maintaining the node list
You should attempt to implement name changes, phone number changes,
etc. in your node list as soon as possible, and to forward the revised
node list to the national coordinator whenever a change occurs.
You should also on occasion send a "broadcast message" to every node
in your region to ensure that they are still operational. If a node
turns out to be "off the air" with no prior warning given to you, then
you can either mark the node as down, place it in the dog house, or
remove it from the node list completely, at your own discretion.
If a node in your region is acting in a sufficiently annoying manner,
then you can take whatever action you deem fit, according to the
circumstances of the case.
4.3 Encouraging the formation and growth of nets
One of your main duties as a regional coordinator is to promote the
growth of nets in your region.
You should try to avoid having independent nodes in your region which
are within the coverage area of a regional net. There are, however,
certain cases where a node should not be a member of a net, such as a
commercial system with a large volume of traffic which would clog the
net. The resolution of such special cases is left to your own
discretion.
If several independent nodes in your region are in a "clump", then you
should encourage them to form a regional net. Refer to the sysop
procedure on forming a regional net for details of what information
you should get.
Note that this does not mean to encourage the formation of trivial
nets. Obviously, one node does not make a net. The exact number of
nodes required for an effective net must be judged according to the
circumstances of the situation, and is left to your own discretion.
4.4 Passing along node lists and Fidonews
As a regional coordinator, you should from time to time receive a new
issue of Fidonews or an updated node list. The node list is posted
weekly on Friday, and Fidonews is published weekly on Monday.
You should pass both of these along to any network hosts in your
region as soon as is practical after you receive them. You are not
required to mail them to any independent nodes in your region, though
you may if you wish. It is also desirable that you make them both
available for downloading by the general user, but this is not
required.
4.5 Forwarding newsletter submissions
You should encourage sysops and users in your region to contribute to
Fidonews. If you receive any submissions, you should forward them to
the Fidonews publisher. Think of yourself as being a regional bureau
chief on the Fidonews editorial staff.
Chapter 5
NATIONAL COORDINATOR PROCEDURES
The national coordinator for FidoNet has the primary task of
maintaining the master node list, as well as the node list for
region 1. From this are derived several additional responsibilities
and powers. However, these powers are rarely (if ever) used. The
national coordinator is very much King Log, not King Stork.
The national coordinator, if he acts at all, will normally restrict
himself to negotiating with the parties involved in an attempt to
achieve a peaceful resolution.
If a system has been dropped from the node list, and can present a
sufficiently convincing case to the national coordinator, then he can
be granted status as an "independent at large" in region 1.
In an extreme case, the national coordinator can order the disbanding
of a regional net, or can assign a new coordinator for a region, but
this is highly unlikely. The national coordinator will only take such
action in an extreme situation which threatens the existence and
integrity of FidoNet.
The national coordinator will take no action at all unless all other
means of settlement have already been tried. His first step in
resolving any dispute will be to contact the regional coordinators and
network hosts involved. If they have not been consulted by the
injured party or otherwise made aware of the situation, then the
complaint will be dismissed out of hand.
He will also take no action unless in his opinion the matter is
serious enough to warrant his attention.
If all means of recourse have been tried to no avail, and if the
national coordinator feels that the situation is grave enough to
warrant his intervention, then and only then he will intercede and
take whatever action he feels is appropriate, at his own discretion.
Chapter 6
RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES
The world not being perfect, sometimes troubles crop up. Any
organization larger than a cub scout pack needs some sort of grievance
procedure, and FidoNet is no exception.
The FidoNet judicial philosophy can be summed up in two rules:
1) Thou shalt not excessively annoy others.
2) Thou shalt not be too easily annoyed.
In other words, there are no hard and fast rules of conduct, but
reasonably polite behavior is expected. Also, in any dispute both
sides are examined, and action could be taken against either or both
parties. ("Judge not, lest ye be judged!")
6.1 Problems with another node
If you are having problems with another node, you should complain to
your network host and/or his network host. If one or both of you is
not in a net, then complain to the appropriate regional coordinator.
6.2 Problems with a network host
If you are having problems with your network host and feel that you
are not being treated properly, there are a few things you can do.
The first step is to contact your regional coordinator. If he feels
that your case has merit, and cannot resolve it in any other way, then
he may grant you independent status. You will then no longer be a
part of the regional net, and will probably no longer receive Fidonews
and node list updates, so don't ask unless you are sure you want out.
If you fail to obtain relief from your regional coordinator, then you
can appeal to the national coordinator.
6.3 Problems with a regional coordinator
If you are having problems with your regional coordinator, then you
should first try to join or form a regional net in your area. If this
fails, you can appeal to the national coordinator.
6.4 Problems with the national coordinator
If you are having problems with the national coordinator, then you are
out of luck. You can either live with it, drop out and forget it, or
join with some friends and start another mail system of your own.
6.5 Appeals to the national coordinator
If you are unable to obtain relief from your regional coordinator,
then you can appeal to the national coordinator. If your case is
sufficiently extreme and meritorious, then you may be granted status
as an "independent at large" (that is, an independent in region 1, not
a part of any net or region).
This is an extreme case, and has never actually come to pass thus far.
The national coordinator has broad and sweeping powers which he almost
never uses. You should be very, very sure of the strength of your
case before going this far.
Also, the first step taken by the national coordinator in
investigating any dispute is to contact any regional coordinators and
network hosts concerned. If you have not followed the proper
channels, then your case will be dismissed out of hand. In other
words, don't go to the national coordinator until you have tried
everything else.
6.6 Case Histories
A few actual case histories of past disputes may be instructive to
show general procedures and methods. Names have been left out to
protect the guilty.
6.6.1 The Case of the Crooked Node
A sysop of a local node was using network mail to engage in unethical
business practices. His net host became very annoyed at this, and
dropped the local from his node list.
The local appealed to his regional coordinator for assignment as an
independent node. The coordinator, on checking with the network host,
decided that the host was within his rights to be annoyed.
Independent status was denied.
The national coordinator did not intervene.
6.6.2 The Case of the Hacker Mailer
A sysop of a local node made use of file attaches for extra users to
mail himself the USER.BBS file from several local boards. The sysops
of these boards felt annoyed at this, and appealed to their network
host. The host agreed and dropped the offending node from the node
list.
The regional coordinator was not consulted.
The national coordinator did not intervene.
6.6.3 The Case of the Network Mutiny
Several local nodes became annoyed with their network host for failing
to provide services. They complained to their host, but nothing was
done.
They appealed to their regional coordinator, who decided that they
were justified in their annoyance and accepted their application for a
new net number.
The national coordinator assigned the net number, based on the
regional coordinator's recommendation.
6.6.4 The Case of the Bothered Barker
A local node became annoyed with his network host for failing to
provide services. Repeated complaints to his host did not satisfy
him, so he appealed to the national coordinator.
The national coordinator, on seeing that the regional coordinator had
not been consulted, dismissed the complaint out of hand.
The local node submitted his complaint to his regional coordinator,
who investigated the case and discovered that there was some justice
to the complaint. He advised and assisted the network host in
configuring his system to provide an improved level of service to the
local nodes.
The regional coordinator also decided that the local node was being
too easily annoyed, in that he was expecting services not normally
required of a network host. The local node was informed as to the
true duties of a network host, and was advised to lower his
expectations.
6.6.5 The Case of the Busy Beaver
A local node which was operated by a retail establishment was engaged
in making "bombing runs" to mail advertisements over the net. His
network host felt annoyed and handling the outgoing traffic for a
commercial operation, and asked the local node to leave the net.
The local node applied to the regional coordinator, and was granted
status as an independent node.
6.6.6 The Mark of the Devil
A local sysop whose board was used in conjunction with voodoo rites,
hacking, phreaking, and obscene material applied to a network host for
a node number. The host deemed that this board was exceptionally
annoying, and denied the request.
The regional coordinator was not consulted.
The national coordinator dismissed the case out of hand.
6.6.7 The Case of the Sysop Twit
A patron of various local nodes had been roundly recognized by all
sysops as a twit. The user obtained his own system, became a sysop,
and applied for a node number. The network host denied the request.
No appeals were made.
--- Twit(t)-Filter Tossed v2.3 (2000)
* Origin: Flying \A/ Ranch, Santa Ysabel, CA (1:10/22)
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