 Ŀ 
  Ŀ Ŀ Ŀ       Ŀ     
                          
                            RULES AND
          REGULATIONS
   
     


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 the OmniLink National Headquarters
    located in Turnersville, NJ and is under it's sole control.  Although
    we often seek input from our hubs and nodes, OmniLink National
    Headquarters  will have the final say on all administrative matters
    and decisions.  Member 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 transferred 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 forwarded from the
    SuperRegional Hub to the National Distribution Site, 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.

    OmniLink has 4 basic positions within the network to help expedite
    processing and make the network more enjoyable to its users.  They
    are the positions of SuperRegional Hub, Regional Hub, Node and
    Moderator.  The last position is open to individuals and not BBS
    Systems themselves.

    A)  NODE

        1)  APPLICATION FORM

            BBS Systems may apply for membership 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 members of the network
            that membership be limited to BBS Systems whose SysOps are at
            least 21 years of age or older.  SysOps who are under 21 must
            undergo a review process.  This is to assure that the board
            is stable, operating legally, and has a user base that will
            be an asset to the net.

        3)  SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

            A)  FULL TIME BBS

                BBS's applying for admission to OmniLink must be full
                time boards and must be accessible 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 BBS Software
                    RNET, QNET, TNET, CAM-MAIL, ROSEMAIL

                WILDCAT BBS Software
                    TNET

                GAP BBS Software
                    GAP-NET

                Any FIDO Compatible Software
                    FidoQWK

                You may download copies of any of the software on our
                approved list from OmniLink National Headquarters 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 announcements 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 accessible 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 conference.

                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
                    member 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 currently 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 beneficial 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 resources or the inclination
        to be Regional Hubs.  There are 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, CAM-MAIL, ROSEMAIL

        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 not
            start to get off-topic or debates become flame wars in
            nature.  To do this, the moderator 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 flagrant 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 Moderators 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
        regular broadcast stations.  Innuendo and insinuation are fine so
        long as they do not become blatant or descriptive.  Again, if you
        could put it on the air in prime time, it is probably OK on the
        network.

    B)  TOPICALITY

        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 tolerated on the net and any
        messages found discussing the committing of a crime will be
        promptly turned over to the authorities.

