338 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
338 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
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RelayNet (tm) International Message Exchange (RIME) BBS Network
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By-Laws
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Version 2 (09 September 1996) Draft A
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Copyright 1988,1989,1993 RIME BBS Network
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I. PREFACE. The RelayNet (tm) International Message Exchange (RIME)
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BBS Network (known hereafter as the "Net," "RIME," or "RelayNet) is a
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multi-tier telecommunications network comprised of one "Network Hub," or
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"NetHub", multiple "Regional Hubs" or "RHs," and "nodes."
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II. RIME is owned and operated as a private organization by a Board of
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Directors referred to as the "RIME Administrative Council," or "SC," whose
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membership is listed in Appendix A. The RAC reserves the right to admit
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or refuse any BBS SYSOP as a participating node or hub; the RAC further
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reserves the right to remove or suspend network access of any individual
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or sysop, whether they are a node or a hub for grevious misconduct
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considered detrimental to the spirit and intent of RIME and these
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bylaws.
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III. The RAC shall designate one of its members to act as Operations
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Officer to run the day-to-day operations of RIME and to coordinate node
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and RH membership applications.
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IV. RIME requires each participating node to provide to its end-users
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a common link which may be a conference, door, or other software device
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to ensure that all nodes have a common channel available throughout
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RIME. The RAC will define and provide the framework and access mechanism
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for this common channel. A BBS is not considered part of RIME until and
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unless it provides this common channel and notifies its users of the
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scope, intent, and any special rules of the common channel.
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However, "Administrative Nodes," i.e., nodes which are used soley for
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RIME's administration purposes, are exempt from carrying this common
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channel. Examples of administrative nodes are (a) the NetHub for
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maintaining a central file library, (b) a node that may be transferring
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messages between multiple networks (RIME Network and Metrolink Network),
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and (c) nodes whose sole purpose in RIME serve to provide
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"product/service support conferences," such as the USRobotics Conference
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sponsored by USRobotics. It is understood that RIME's overall objectives
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and goals are dedicated to provide an information service to its most
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important participant, the BBS user community.
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In addition there is a second required conference, RimeNews, which is
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required to be carried by each node on Relaynet. We ask that you
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specifically name this conference RIMENEWS and that you clearly inform
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your users that this is an announcement only conference and no posting
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of any messages is permitted except by designated individuals.
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While RIMENEWS is a public conference open to all users and sysops of
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the network, for reading purposes only, no users or sysops may post any
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messages whatsoever in this conference. All posting to the conference
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will be done by the RAC or the conference coordinators. Any replies to
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announcements can be made as routed and/or r/o messages in USERS, ADMIN
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or COMMON. Any replies placed in the Rimenews conference will be
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immediately moderated.
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The purpose of the Announcement Only conference is to provide the
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users and sysops of Relaynet a single channel in which to obtain all
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important network information.
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Announcements only will be placed in this conference. If you, as a
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sysop/conference host/co-sysop/user, wish to have a message placed in
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this conference, send the message (using any appropriate conference such
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as common, admin, hosts, users) to Garry Baker (BLAKGOLD 1279), and we
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will post it for you.
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V. SCOPE AND PURPOSE
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A. Purpose. The purpose of RIME is to provide participating hubs
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and nodes a means of communicating with each other through common
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conference areas which are "relayed" via the central NetHub. RIME's
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primary purpose is considered social in nature.
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B. Terminology.
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1. "RH" and "Node" refer to specific Postlink software setups
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as used by BBS Sysops to participate in RIME.
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2. "Relay" is used to describe the transfer of conference
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messages from one node (BBS) to another node via an RH.
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3. Network.
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a. A "Regional Hub", or "RH is comprised of one Hub and
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two or more nodes. A BBS Sysop "hosts" an RH and this host BBS is one
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of the RH's nodes. To be considered an RH, a hub has to have at least two
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nodes "relaying" through it.
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b. The RAC is composed of 7 members or the number it decides.
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C. Size. The physical size of RIME may be no more than the number
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of nodes and RHs as prescribed by the RAC. Each RH may have
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non-RIME-relayed nodes (that use Postlink software). However, such nodes
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may be authorized to carry RIME's common channel.
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D. Software
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1. All member nodes and RHs in RIME (including non-RIME-
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relayed nodes) need to use legally purchased relay software.
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2. All member nodes and RHs in RIME need to use legally
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purchased, obtained, and/or registered BBS software.
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E. RIME maintains the capability and capacity to send and receive
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messages that are flagged as "Receiver-Only" or "Routed Mail." Messages
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so flagged are not to be considered by any user as actual "private"
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messages. The purpose of the "R/O" and "Routed Mail" flags are intended
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solely to provide a means to limit the possible number of nodes that may
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have access to the messages for display purposes.
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1. Therefore, pursuant to the Electronic Communications Privacy
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Act of 1986, 18 USC 2510 et. seq., all BBS SYSOPs participating within
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RIME must be aware that there are no facilities provided by RIME for
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sending or receiving confidential electronic communications.
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2. All participating node and RH SYSOPS need to agree, as a
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condition of network membership and participation, that they will notify
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anyone reading or exchanging messages within all RIME conferences on
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their BBSs of all applicable by-law and conference rules and that RIME
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has no facilities for exchanging confidential electronic communications.
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A suitable bulletin and/or news display should be placed in a prominent
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place within the the individual RIME BBS indicating that there are no
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confidential communications capabilities within RIME.
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3. All messages posted in relayed conferences are deemed to be
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public. All nodes and RHs shall deem all messages posted within RIME's
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conferences to be readily accessible to the general public at all times.
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If any person posts a message within any RIME conference, his/her
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acceptance of this policy is heretofore implied.
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4. RIME and all member nodes and RHs assume absolutely no
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accountability or liability whatsoever for any violations of this policy
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by any and all users of RIME.
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VI. AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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A. The individual node SYSOP is responsible for enforcing the rules
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as set forth in our RIME(tm) Users Manual (contained in a file called
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RIMEMAN.TXT) or our RIME(tm) official conference rule file (contained in
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a file called *RIMEMAN.ZIP) These files MUST be made available to
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every user on your system who access the RIME(tm) network as either a
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download or a bulletin. While it is not the intent of RIME or the RAC to
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interfere with any SYSOP's authority on his/her own BBS, all "relayed"
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conferences on nodes and RHs are considered subject to the jurisdiction
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of these rules.
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B. The Regional Hub (RH) SYSOPs have the freedom to solicit, but
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not grant RIME membership, to prospective nodes within their region.
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1. RH SYSOPs who solicit prospective nodes need to advise
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applicants:
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(a) of RIME's basic rules
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(b) That the RH SYSOP will provide to the RAC an admission
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application form which details the the applicant's particulars such as:
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applicant's name, voice and BBS telephone numbers, address, BBS name.
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2. The RHs are responsible for enforcing these by-laws within
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their region. An RH must relay mail a minimum of five times a week
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unless it is technically not feasible to do so. The RAC will resolve any
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problems regarding the potential overlapping of regions. No RH should
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intentionally shut down for more than 24 consecutive hours without first
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making provisions for the continued relaying of it nodes.
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3. RHs should make every feasible effort to accommodate all
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conference requests for their nodes as their equipment and configuration
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allow.
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4. When an RH has been notified by the RAC to remove the access
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of a node, the RH should remove the node's access as quickly as
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possible. In the event that the RH does not comply with an SC-directed
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node-access-removal request, the RH's access may be removed at the
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NETHUB level.
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5. The RH has the authority to remove the access of one or more
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of its nodes for one day if the situation warrants such action.
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Immediately following any access removal, the RH needs to notify a SC
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member by voice.
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C. Conference Coordinator(s) (CC) and Conference Hosts (CH).
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1. The Conference Coordinator is the SC's designated
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representative. Duties include: (a) administrate conferences and
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designates Conference Hosts, (b) maintain conference lists, (c) advise
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the RAC regarding conference problems. The RAC will appoint the Conference
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Coordinator for any length of term. The Conference Coordinator job may
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be split among several persons, such as a Coordinator in charge of
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Conference Moderations, a Coordinator in charge of Conference Setups, a
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Coordinator in charge of Marketing and a Coordinator in charge of
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Statistical Analysis.
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2. Conference Hosts are designated by the Conference
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Coordinator. Conference Hosts are responsible for their conferences and
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guide the discussion areas. Their duties include: (a) provide bulletins
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to nodes carrying their conference for the purpose of clarification and/
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or information; (b) define what should and should not be discussion
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areas within the conference; and (c) provide guidance to all concerned
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with legal responsibilities and/or disclaimers. The Host may be
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responsible for providing to the Conference Coordinator a description of
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the conference, it's aims, and the scope of the conference.
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D. NetHub Operations.
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1. The NETHUB equipment and the trademarks "RelayNet" and
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"RIME" are the property of the members of RIME's RAC.
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2. The RAC will make available a conference for the general
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administration affairs of RIME. This conference is open to sysops,
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working co-sysops, the Conference Coordinators and conference hosts.
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3. The NETHUB Sysop coordinates the primary mail exchange time
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for each RH connected to the NETHUB. Each RH has this primary time to
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ensure that all routine mail exchanges are accomplished in a timely
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manner. The NETHUB Sysop publishes the primary mail exchange times to
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ensure that no RH deliberately intrudes during another RH's primary mail
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exchange time-window. Only RHs may relay through the NetHub.
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E. Ammendments
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1. Though the RAC is ultimately responsible for implementing
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changes to these by-laws, any RIME node or RH Sysop, Co-Sysop,
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Conference Host or the Conference Coordinator may petition the RAC for
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by-laws changes at any time. However, such requests and petitions and
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any and all discussions thereof MUST be conducted in the designated
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general RIME adminsitration conference, as specified in subparagraph 2,
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paragraph D, section VI above.
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VII. RULES AND REGULATIONS
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A. All node sysops must adhere to the general principle that NO
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illegal activities, which includes promotion of illegal acts and
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promotion of software copyright infringement, will be allowed on RIME.
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Such activities constitute a grievous reason for the potential removal
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of the node from RIME, and may necessitate compensatory action against
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the violator for any legal liabilities such activities may cause RIME.
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B. All rules contained within the Conference Rule and RIME(tm) Users
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manual are to be considered rules of the network and are to be enforced
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on a local level. Flagrant continual disregard for the conference rules
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of the network constitute a grievous reason for possible removal of that
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node.
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C. It is RIME's understanding that each node SYSOP is responsible
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for the names used on his/her own BBS. If the SYSOP grants a user the
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right to use an alias, for what the SYSOP deems is a valid reason, such
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as security, and that alias is not apparently an alias (such as Dr.
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Midnight, which is) then there is no need to inform RIME of that alias.
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Duplicate names within RIME, such as three John Smiths, will be handled
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by the node SYSOPS of the involved boards in a manner which would not
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cause an alias to be relayed (example, John Smith, Johnny Smith, J.
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Smith or Johnnie Smith)
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D. Although Postlink software may allow the "file send" feature
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without RH control, unauthorized "sends" of files by a node --
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especially global file-sends -- is prohibited. Every RH within the chain
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between nodes which either "sends" or "receives" a file should approve
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such actions. An exception list (with official items that are considered
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network files and as such must be permitted to be sent is provided in
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Appendix B.)
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E. There are some National Conference Names (such as COMMON) which
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needs to be used on all participating nodes to prevent possible
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confusion. The current list of conferences which must be called by their
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National Conference Name is contained in Appendix C.
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F. Messages contained in conferences relayed through the NETHUB are
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considered in the public domain. However, the RAC needs to authorize the
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"sharing" of conferences with non-RIME-participating BBS systems. A
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"shared" conference is one that is relayed to or between other networks
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or BBS systems that have the capability of responding to such "shared"
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conference mail.
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G. It is understood that node and RH SYSOPS take vacations. RIME
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requests that a vacationing SYSOP delegate to another responsible Sysop
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the ability to monitor the BBS in his/her absence. In the event that any
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node does not relay within 3 consecutive days, the RH may decline to
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hold mail until the node SYSOP has contacted the RH. It is also
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understood that users may commit violations of RIME's rules in the
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absence of a full time SYSOP and that immediate action may not be able
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to be taken by the appointed SYSOP. This type of event does not
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constitute a grievous reason for removal of a node.
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H. Conference message bases may not be sent to non-RIME-relaying
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nodes without the permission of the RAC.
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I. From time to time the RAC may authorize the sending of files,
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other than those listed in Appendix B, through RIME from authors and/or
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vendors in support of their programs. This will be done with the advance
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consent of all RHs involved.
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VIII. MISCELLANEOUS
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A. No node may charge its users specifically for access to
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individual RIME conferences beyond whatever subscription rate, if any,
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they generally charge. No RH may charge a node for admission to the RIME
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Network. No RH may require that a node be a regular subscriber to the
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RH's BBS. A RH is however free to split the phone bill costs with their
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nodes, using any viable scheme that does not result in a profit to the RH
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sysop.
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Appendix A
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RIME Administrative Council Members as of 08-15-1996
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Site Number
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Don Barba 35
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Rex Hankins 5
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Garry Baker 1279
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Sue Moore 5012
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Bob Sasso 35
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Roy Wilson 35
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Rick Cowles 5690
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Appendix B
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Authorized "Send" List
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The following files may be transmitted unsolicited to RHs, by designated
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individuals only, using the Postlink software's "send" feature:
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Conference lists and nodes such as YYMMRIME.ZIP
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BBS instruction lists such as RIME-BBS.ZIP
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Monthly RIME(tm) newletter such as RIMEYYXX.ZIP
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Publicity packets such as RELAYNET.ZIP
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Conference Host instructions such as RIME-CHS.ZIP
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Users manuals such as *RIMEMAN.ZIP
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Appendix C
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National Conference Names That Must Be Used On Participating BBSs
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COMMON
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UPLINK
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RIMENEWS
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============================== END OF BY-LAWS =========================
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