textfiles/bbs/FIDONET/RIME/rimeconf.rul

GENERAL CONFERENCE RULES:   Revised 09/15/1996

1. Illegal activities, including promotion of illegal acts and promotion
of software copyright infringement, will not be allowed on RIME.
Uploading or transfer through the network of commercial software is
absolutely prohibited. Transfer through the network of software specific
to the running of the network, such as Postlink, is allowed, if the
author's permission is obtained, and it is authorized by the AC.

2.  The use of any word, group of words, expression, comment,
suggestion, or proposal which is profane, obscene, lewd, lascivious,
filthy, indecent, or is ethnically, sexually, or racially demeaning is
strictly prohibited within RIME. Racial slurs or slang names for ethnic
groups, sexual orientation, race or gender are considered offensive
language.

3.  Do not abuse RIME users in any conference(s) by sending foul or
insulting messages.  No abuse of other users is allowed on the basis of
character, physical characteristics, religion, gender, sexual
orientation, intelligence quotient, or ethnicity.  Messages that are
harassing or bullying are not allowed.

Gratuitous negative comments directed at other users are considered
personal attacks.  Personal attacks are not allowed even if they are
disguised as being aimed at a group or a third party not being directly
addressed.

4.  Messages must adhere to the topic of the conference.  Since there
are conferences for almost every subject, place your message in the
conference where it best fits.  If you can't find a good fit, consider
using the UPLINK conference, which is RIME's chit-chat conference.

If you are asked by a Conference Host or an Administration Council 
member to cease a message thread, please comply as soon as you 
receive the message.  Do not debate the issue in public.  If you 
have questions about why you were asked to cease a particular message 
thread, you should first ask the CH for further information via a 
routed, r/o message.  You may also bring that question to the USERS 
conference.  We prefer that you first attempt to resolve any 
differences with the conference host directly, and if that resolution 
fails then feel free to bring the issue to the USERS conference.

5.  Do not "over quote" messages.  Quoting should be limited to only
enough to remind the original user of what was said or to provide for an
adequate response.  Quoting should not exceed more than 20% of the total
message.  Do not quote whole messages and then add only one or two lines
as your response.  Never quote tagline areas unless you are discussing
taglines in the tagline conference. (Discussions of taglines are
permitted only in the tagline conference, or the conference where it
appears if it expresses a thought relevant to the conference topic.)

Signatures are limited to two lines of message text and may not contain
any ANSI escape sequences or ASCII characters that interfere with
readers and BBS software (specifically, but not limited to FF, 1A, 1B)
except in conferences where these characters are specifically allowed
(such as, the Ansi Graphics conference.)  Quoting overhead (boxes,
quoted-message references etc) may not consume more than two lines of
message text.  Messages may not contain variables which result in text
substitution on receiving BBS software (such as the PCBoard @ variable.)

6.  BBS Ads are ONLY permitted in the BBS AD Conference and the ANSI
graphics conference.

Messages containing ANSI codes are ONLY to be posted in the ANSI
Conference and the BBS Ads conference.  No ANSI graphics may be used in
any conference on the network except the ANSI conference and the BBS ads
conference.

7. No for-sale advertisements are permitted in any conference except the
ForSale conference or where specifically allowed by the network. Ask the
conference host of your particular conference if for-sale ads are
allowed in the conference before you place a for-sale ad.  Pyramid
schemes are not allowed on the network as they are illegal.

We here at RIME assume NO responsibility for any merchandise purchased 
through our network.  There are no rules on this network that have 
anything to do with the payment or receiving of goods.  That is a private 
matter between the buyer and the seller and RIME assumes absolutely no 
responsibility for any sales whatsoever.  It is strictly a caveat emptor.

8.  Copying messages to other conferences and/or other users.  No one
may copy, quote verbatim, extensively quote or paraphrase from a message
in one discussion conference (as opposed to technical) to another
discussion conference without permission of the originator of the
message and notification of the Conference Host of the receiving
conference.

In addition, retransmission of public/private messages, quoting verbatim
or extensively quoting from a message or paraphrasing of parts or entire
messages dealing with administrative matters to or by anyone other than
the user(s), the user(s)'s Sysop, CH or AC member(s) involved is
considered grounds for moderation.  No matters that are discussed in
administrative conferences such as ADMIN, HOSTS or USERS may be pursued
in any conference other than those specific administrative conferences.

No copying messages to or from other networks without the specific
permission of the author of the message and/or the originating network
whichever is appropriate.  Technical messages, where the author
specifically requests wide-spread distribution, does not fall under this
category.

9. Bombing the network, or the practice of a user posting multiple
messages, not related to the conference topic, in one, or several
conferences, either simultaneously, or closely related in time, is
prohibited. Conference disruption, by bombing a conference, may lead to
removal from the conference or the entire RIME network.

10. Messages that are specifically intended to mislead and deceive are
considered to be disruptive to a conference and are grounds for
suspension from that conference.

11. No aliases are permitted.  You must use your real name in every RIME
conference (except certain conferences such as RECOVERY where a
reasonable alias is permitted.)  If you are unsure, do not use an alias
but ask the conference host if one is permissible.  Sysops retain the
right to allow a reasonable sounding alias to be used by a particular
person on their own system, if they are sure of the identity of that
user and there is a compelling local reason for such use.

12. Special conferences have special rules.  The latest rules can be 
obtained from the conference host.

Messages in the COMMON conference are limited to 20 lines including
quoting and signatures, but excluding software generated taglines. The
Common conference is considered a starting place on RIME, and is carried
by every RIME BBS. It is a conference where you might greet each other,
locate boards in various geographical areas, post messages as you
would on a "live" bulletin board or make general announcements.  Please
do not "hang out" in the COMMON conference.

The SYSOPS conference is open to all sysops whether they are members of
RIME or not.  Also, at the discretion of a Sysop, any user may be
granted access to this conference.

The Net administration conference is open only to RIME Sysops,
Conference Hosts and equal, working Co-Sysops.  Because the
administration conference is a working conference the only Co-Sysops
that are permitted into the administration conference are those
co-sysops that hold equal responsibility, on a daily basis, with the
sysop of the board. Co-sysops with only occasional or specific duties on
a board are not permitted access to the ADMIN conference. The sysop of
the board is defined as the owner of the software.

RIMENEWS is for network wide announcements. It is read only.   That
means that no one but the AC and the Conference Administrator may place
messages in this conference.  Do not place any messages in the RIMENEWS
conference or allow any messages to leave your board in this conference.

The FORSALE conference has the following rules: a - Dealers are
        encouraged to participate but they must identify themselves as
        dealers. b -  Users may not send more that 5 ads per day, nor 
        the same ad more than once a week.  They may send significantly 
        different ads daily.  c - all ads for software must adhere to
        all U.S. Copyright Laws.  d - no guns or ammunition may be
        offered for sale on this network, in any conference.

The USERS conference is open to all Users. While participation in the
USERS conference is encouraged, all messages in the USERS conference
must be addressed to either the conference host your are dialoguing with
or to the Conference Moderator if you are asking for an investigation.
You may not involve yourself in discussions between a user and a
conference host. Upon investigation and/or resolution of an issue, the
topic will be closed. Dissatisfaction with a decision is not a valid
reason to continue closed topics.  All decisions of the administration
are final and are not appealable.

13. Differences of opinion over these rules are to be discussed in the
NETADMIN (for sysops, conference hosts) or the RELAY USERS (for users)
Conferences only.  Any differences over these rules, should first be
discussed with the Conference Host in the conference by R/O and/or
Routed message only if possible. If a satisfactory resolution cannot
be reached, then feel free to message openly with the conference host
and the Conference Moderator in the USERS conference.

If you have a difference of opinion with a Conference Host you may not
discuss that difference in the conference of origin unless by routed,
r/o message.

14. Solicitation of information and/or conduction of surveys are not
allowed on the network without prior, specific Administration Council
approval.

15. Any user or sysop threatening to involve RIME in a law suit or
legal battle, at the discretion of the CCA or AC, may be permanently
removed from the network.

16.  Any and all of the rules that are part of the RIME Bylaws are
hereby incorporated here.

Abbreviations in use: CH=Conference Host    AC=Administration Council
CCA=Chief Conference Administrator       R/O=receiver only, private