260 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
260 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
MAG-POL.TXT v2.0 Effective Date: 01 May, 1990 Page 1 of 5
|
||
|
||
|
||
Introduction to the
|
||
NEOPAGANISM, WITCHCRAFT AND MAGICK
|
||
Echo Conference Network
|
||
|
||
1. Overview
|
||
|
||
In November of 1985, Senator Jesse Helms and Representative
|
||
Robert Walker each introduced legislation that would have
|
||
prohibited tax-exempt status for any church or religious
|
||
organization that practiced "sorcery" or "had a substantial
|
||
interest ... in the promotion of witchcraft."
|
||
The effect that these bills had on the magickal community
|
||
was electrifying. Groups and traditions that otherwise hated or
|
||
distrusted each other banded together into one large network,
|
||
bound together by the telephone and by U.S. Mail, to block their
|
||
passage. It took over a year, but finally both bills were dead.
|
||
They seem unlikely to return soon.
|
||
In early 1986, a programmer named Jeff Rush wrote a FidoNet
|
||
extension called EchoMail. It electrified and revolutionized the
|
||
FidoNet community every bit as much as the Helms Amendment and
|
||
Walker Bill did the magickal community.
|
||
In the very earliest days of EchoMail, Brad Hicks, sysop of
|
||
WeirdBase, a Discordio-Pagan bulletin board on the FidoNet in St.
|
||
Louis, Missouri (1:100/523) came up with the idea of finding
|
||
every possible Pagan and magickal contact person who could dial
|
||
into the FidoNet, and connect them all together, ideally via an
|
||
EchoMail conference. So he advertised quietly for such people in
|
||
several articles in FidoNews.
|
||
Initially, three other systems replied. In Berkeley,
|
||
California, Josh Gordon was operating a bulletin board for the Ordo Templar
|
||
Orientis called ThelemNet (125/93 then, 1:161/93 now). In Gardner,
|
||
Massachusetts, a local astrolger named MizMoon had a horoscope area on
|
||
Dave's Fido (1:101/27). And on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, a hippy
|
||
named Gene Clayton replied that he didn't know much about the subject
|
||
but surely was interested.
|
||
From these four systems was formed the very first EchoMail
|
||
conference set up to discuss a specific, non-technical subject:
|
||
the MAGICK EchoMail Conference. In its first month, it garnered
|
||
only a few dozen messages. It has since grown beyond belief, to
|
||
40 or more systems and dozens of messages =per night.= To
|
||
accomodate the increase in traffic (and the continuous stream of
|
||
the new and curious), the Neopaganism, Witchcraft and Magick
|
||
conference was separated into its three current components
|
||
(MAGICKNET, METAPHYSICAL, and MUNDANE) in March of 1988, almost
|
||
exactly two years after it was founded.
|
||
As of Beltane (May Eve) 1990, the load of adminstering the
|
||
huge and still growing echomail system, became too much for Brad Hicks and
|
||
the network administrative duties were assumed jointly by several
|
||
people in New Mexico and Colorado.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
MAG-POL.TXT v2.0 Effective Date: 16 Jun 88 Page 2 of 5
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
2. Content of the Neopaganism, Witchcraft and Magick Conferences
|
||
|
||
2.1 MAGICKNET...... Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick
|
||
This remains the normal Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick
|
||
echo. However, discussions of only marginal relevance to the topic(s)
|
||
will be strongly encouraged to move to MUNDANE.
|
||
|
||
2.2 METAPHYSICAL... Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick (articles)
|
||
This portion of the echo is intended to encourage members of
|
||
the magickal community to discuss points in common and points of
|
||
difference in detail; to promote scholarship and depth of thought
|
||
in the magickal community. Only messages of magazine-article
|
||
quality should be posted in Metaphysical. Replies to articles
|
||
posted in METAPHYSICAL should be posted in MAGICKNET. It is the
|
||
responsibility of each sysop to ensure that messages which belong
|
||
in MAGICKNET or MUNDANE do not get posted here. For example, the
|
||
sysop may choose to have users submit potential messages as files
|
||
to be converted (by the sysop) into messages, or alternatively
|
||
may only give access privilege sufficient to post into METAPHYS-
|
||
ICAL to trusted users who have had the policy explained to them.
|
||
However, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should unvalidated, first-time
|
||
callers be permitted to post in METAPHYSICAL.
|
||
|
||
|
||
2.3 MUNDANE........ Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick (sidetrack)
|
||
|
||
Many members of the original Magick echo derived great
|
||
pleasure
|
||
and satisfaction from being able to discuss mundane and political
|
||
matters with other members of the magickal community. Unfortu-
|
||
nately, left unchecked such discussions can tend to crowd serious
|
||
magickal discussions. To allow both types of dialog to exist
|
||
side-by-side, the MUNDANE echo was formed. If a discussion
|
||
starts in either the MAGICKNET or the METAPHYSICAL echo that is
|
||
irrelevant to their topics, the parties to that discussion will
|
||
be =strongly= encouraged to move the discussion over to MUNDANE
|
||
(if not completely away from the Neopaganism, Witchcraft and
|
||
Magick Conference).
|
||
This should not be confused with a wide-open general chatter
|
||
echo. While the topics may range freely, only members of the
|
||
magickal community or those with interests in magickal topics are
|
||
encouraged to post here.
|
||
|
||
3. Rules of the Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick Conference
|
||
|
||
3.1 Nodes Required to Provide All Three Echos
|
||
All systems which distribute this conference or make it
|
||
available to the public are required to carry all three echos.
|
||
Mail-only and/or point systems which do not distribute the
|
||
Neopaganism, Witchcraft and Magick conferences or make them publically
|
||
available are exempted from this rule but are strongly encouraged to
|
||
carry all three echos in order to be able to follow discussions which
|
||
are moved to other tracks.
|
||
|
||
MAG-POL.TXT v2.0 Effective Date: 16 Jun 88 Page 3 of 5
|
||
|
||
|
||
3.2 Notify Coordinator of Local Distribution
|
||
Any system carrying all of the MagickNet echos may further
|
||
distribute them to any private or FidoNet node within their local calling
|
||
area. However, they are required to notify the coordinator of this
|
||
hookup at once, and to distribute to that node or point the current version
|
||
of this document.
|
||
|
||
3.3 Request Permission for Non-Local Distribution
|
||
No system may distribute all or part of the MagickNet echos
|
||
to a node or point outside their local calling area without first securing
|
||
permission from the networking coordinator(s).
|
||
|
||
3.4 No Illegal Messages
|
||
No message which is blatantly illegal in content shall be
|
||
entered into the MagickNet echos. The only exception will be for
|
||
messages regarding legitimate religious practices or beliefs
|
||
which are or may be made illegal, in violation of the First
|
||
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the U.N. Statement on
|
||
Human Rights.
|
||
|
||
3.5 No Harrassing Messages
|
||
No message which is intended to harrass someone because of
|
||
their religious beliefs (or for any other reason), or to convert them
|
||
to another religion, shall be entered into any of the MagickNet echos. No
|
||
exceptions will be made to this rule, even in the MUNDANE echo.
|
||
|
||
3.6 No Irrelevant Messages
|
||
No message which is irrelevant to the topics of Neopaganism,
|
||
Witchcraft, and Magick shall be entered into MAGICKNET or into
|
||
METAPHYSICAL. For this rule, a warning will be issued, and in
|
||
general the conversation will be permitted to continue in the
|
||
MUNDANE echo.
|
||
|
||
3.7 No Personal Insults
|
||
No message which contains unnecessary profanity or personal
|
||
insults shall be entered into any of the MagickNet echos. Only
|
||
one warning will be issued to any violator. (If you wish to
|
||
continue to insult each other, please use personal FidoNet mail.)
|
||
This includes messages in the MUNDANE echo.
|
||
|
||
3.8 Voice Number for all sysops must be on file with both the
|
||
Coordinators Everybody who wishes to carry these nodes on their system
|
||
must leave a voice telephone number either with Paul Seymour (301/9) or Russ
|
||
Anderson (104/11) These numbers will remain confidential if you desire,
|
||
but you MUST BE REACHABLE VIA VOICE in case of problems.
|
||
|
||
4. Enforcement
|
||
If a user of any bulletin board system or point operator
|
||
under a Fidonet node naively violates one of these rules, it is the
|
||
MAG-POL.TXT v2.0 Effective Date: 16 Jun 88 Page 4 of 5
|
||
responsibility of the local sysop to take whatever action is
|
||
necessary to prevent it from happening again. In the event the local
|
||
sysop is unaware of the violation, the coordinator will notify him or her.
|
||
If the sysop of the local node does NOT take such action, or
|
||
is the person responsible for the violation, then the coordinator will
|
||
request that system to leave the MagickNet echos at once. If it does
|
||
not, then the coordinator will request of the system by which it is linked into
|
||
the MagickNet echos that they cease to deliver messages to or accept
|
||
messages from that system, and it will be forcibly exiled from the echos.
|
||
Anyone who knowingly provides a "feed" to a sysop who has been exiled
|
||
from the MagickNet echos will suffer a like fate. Likewise, if the exiled
|
||
system's feed refuses to cut the link, the link above the feed will be cut
|
||
- as high up as is necessary to successfully exile the offending node.
|
||
In all but the most obvious and gross of cases, the coordinator(s)
|
||
will, AT THEIR OPTION, seek a consensus, or at least an overwhelming
|
||
majority, of the sysops in the MagickNet echos before taking drastic
|
||
action.
|
||
If this seems harsh, it needs to be pointed out that until and
|
||
unless the International FidoNet Association and/or the FidoNet
|
||
Co-ordinators change the rules, this is the ONLY means available to
|
||
keep order within an echo conference.
|
||
|
||
|
||
5. The Coordinators
|
||
From its earliest beginnings, the Magick Conference has been
|
||
co-ordinated and moderated by Brad Hicks from his BBS, WeirdBase at
|
||
1:100/523 (314-389-9973). As of this date, Brad no longer coordinates all
|
||
three echos. The distribution of the echoes is coordinated by Paul
|
||
Seymour (301/9) [(505) 883-7418 Voice], and the administrative moderation
|
||
(Topic Cop) will be done jointly by Russ Anderson and Amergin O'Kai of
|
||
104/11.
|
||
|
||
6. Revision History
|
||
|
||
6.1 Version 1.0
|
||
Original document issued 1 Mar 88.
|
||
|
||
6.2 Version 1.1
|
||
Revised on 16 Jun 88. Definition of METAPHYSICAL echo
|
||
(section 2.3) clarified. Topology (section 6) updated and PC-Pursuit
|
||
markings added. Revision history (section 6 and subsequent)
|
||
inserted before the topology list. Page numbers added.
|
||
|
||
6.3 Version 2.0
|
||
Revised to take effect 1 May, 1990 to reflect the new
|
||
distribution and topology of the network dmanded by Brad Hicks taking a much
|
||
needed break. MAG-POL.TXT v2.0 Effective Date: 01 May 90 Page 5 of 5
|
||
|
||
|
||
7. The Topology
|
||
|
||
The following list are the known ACTIVE feeds in place as of
|
||
4/28/90.
|
||
PLEASE HELP KEEP IT UP TO DATE!
|
||
|
||
301/9 The Mountain Oracle ABQ, NM
|
||
|
|
||
------19/5 Drumright Drumright, OK (9600)
|
||
|
|
||
------308/60 Casa De La Luz Alamogordo, NM (9600 BAUD HUB)
|
||
| |
|
||
| |------109/120 TIDMAT Alexandria, VA (9600) PCP
|
||
|
|
||
------101/192 NPI Lynn, Ma. PCP
|
||
|
|
||
------102/922 Cassandra News Lakeview Terrace, Ca. PCP
|
||
| |
|
||
| |--------102/862 Tahuti Net Los Angeles, Ca.
|
||
| |--------102/??? Mysteria Tijunga, Ca.
|
||
|
|
||
------104/11 Dragonfriend's Place Denver CO. (ADMIN. HUB) PCP
|
||
| |
|
||
| |-------104/610 The 8th Sea Northglen, CO.
|
||
|
|
||
------114/29 Deus Ex Machina Phoenix, AZ. PCP
|
||
|
|
||
------124/4214 Chrysallis Dallas, Tx PCP
|
||
|
|
||
------125/13 Alt-Net NAPA, CA.
|
||
|
|
||
------128/50 The Crystal Cave Widefield, Co.
|
||
|
|
||
------280/311 Gates of Delerium Kansas City, MO. (9600) PCP
|
||
| |
|
||
| |--------280/64
|
||
| |--------280/901
|
||
|
|
||
------377/5 Liberty BBS Tampa, FL. PCP
|
||
|
|
||
------382/7 Black Ice Austin Tx
|
||
|
||
|
||
PCP indicates PC Pursuitable
|