F I D O N E T (tm) POLICY for NET 7101 - Rev. a 29 September 1992 This document should be regarded as a general guide at NET level rather than a policy document as such. It should be read in addition to: EPOL5_1.ZIP R71POL-2.ARJ POLICY4.ZIP These files are available for FREQUEST at 5:7101/22, and should be made freely available by all nodes in net 7101, together with this file, POL7101.ZIP How it all fits together: ========================= For administrative purposes, Fido is broken down into various groupings, with different people being responsible at each level. * Zone : Zone 5 = Africa as a whole Current Zone Coordinator is Henk Wolsink 5:5/0 or 5:7104/2 * Region: Region 71 : South Africa Current Region Coordinator is Niel Uys 5:7105/1 * Network: In South Africa, each province forms a network Currently these are: Net 7101 : Transvaal : NC Richard Peer 5:7101/22 Net 7102 : Western Cape : NC Sean White 5:7102/327 Net 7103 : Natal : NC Chris Kenward 5:7103/1 Net 7104 : Eastern Cape : NC Bryan Haefele 5:7104/3 Net 7105 : OFS : NC Niel Uys 5:7105/1 * Node: A Single Fidonet address, controlled by its SysOp. A node must as a minimum, observe ZONE MAIL HOUR, as per POLICY4. A node is not neccessarily a system that runs as a BBS. * Point: A system on a private network run by a node within a net. A point may not run a system with public dial up access. There is provision for points to run for multiple user operations, for eg: a closed group such as several co-workers at a plant etc, but before any such point is set up, it is to be discussed with NC 7101. Currently, any "multiple point" in net 7101 will only be allowed if it connects to the net host. Besides the above positions, there is also a ZEC (Niel Uys @ 5:7105/1) and a REC for region 71. (Richard Peer @ 5:7101/22) Essential Echos: ---------------- In Region 71 REG71: All Fido nodes in Region 71 SANET: All Fido nodes and points in Region 71 In Net 7101 Both of the above, plus: NET.TVL : All Fido nodes and points in Net 7104, and to be used as required when a Node or Point is being setup for testing purposes. For the purposes of any of these echos, POINT excludes an XRS type off-line message reader (this includes BlueWave and Silver Express). Note that anything of importance will be announced in the appropriate echo. You are expected to read these echos. INDIVIDUAL SYSOPS: ------------------- What you do in your system, as Sysop, is pretty much your own concern, provided that anything concerning FIDO complies with the various rules and policies of FidoNet. What you WON'T do: * Excessively annoy other nodes (this is an International FidoNet Rule) * Promote the distribution of Pirated/commercial software by means of any FidoNet connection. * Make FidoNet look "bad" by any of your actions. * Promote the distribution of virus/virus code in any form, ESPECIALLY by making such code freely downloadable. What you WILL do: * Comply with all existing FidoNet policies, when interacting in any way with FidoNet. * Observe Zone Mail Hour * Observe all rules relating to mail pickups of NET or ECHO mail. * Pick up mail on hold at regular intervals from your host's system. * In Net 7101, these collections should be at least four times a week, UNLESS you have arranged otherwise. If you KNOW you're going to be away for any length of time, SAY SO !! * Same thing applies if you have a hardware problem and you will be down for more than one day ... SAY SO !! * If you want to run a POINTnet, inform your NC, and obtain the required numbers from him/her, and will expect a regular update from you of your points names/numbers etc. Please NOTE: ----------- * Mail packets on hold for a node are subject to deletion without further notice if they are more than 7 days old, or the total amount of mail waiting exceeds 500K of disc space. If you are unable to collect mail for any reason (holiday, hardware failure, whatever) you MUST contact your NC. Being NC doesn't endow anybody with the ability to read minds. * Failure to pickup mail or contact the net coordinator for 14 days will result in your node number being marked as DOWN in the Nodelist. * If there has been no contact from a node for 28 days, that node will be removed from the nodelist without further reference to that Node. * If you have a problem connecting for any reason, the onus is on YOU to contact your NC ... don't expect that anybody will come chasing after you to find out whats become of you. HOW TO GET A NODE NUMBER ------------------------ Node numbers in Net 7101 are ONLY available from the Network Coordinator, at Node Address 5:7101/22. DO NOT "invent" your own number and use it within the net as a whole. That will be grounds to refuse you a node number. To apply for your NODE number, set up your mailer using the address -1/-1 or 7101/9999, and send NETMAIL directly to 5:7101/22, with the following info: 1. Your Name 2. Your boards name 3. Both voice & BBS/Node telephone numbers 4. Your boards physical location 5. Hours operational 6. Baud rates (highest) and any error protocols that you support. 7. Whether you can accept continuous mail (24 hours per day) CONTINUOUS MAIL means that you can accept mail packets from other nodes at any time of the day/night. This is not mandatory, but you MUST be able to do so during Zone Mail Hour, currently 3am to 4am in South Africa (REGION 71). If you cannot support ZMH, you will not be allocated a node number. 8. How long you have had a STABLE system running. If you have only just started your system in the last few days, you won't be given a node number until you have shown that you DO in fact have a stable setup running, and that foreign addresses from other networks do NOT appear in your messages or connection attempts The NC of net 7101 will NOT assign a node number to any request originating from such an address. Once this information has been received, you will be given a node number, and you will be expected to set it up, and send NETMAIL as well as a message in NET.TVL echo message to 5:7101/22. Once this has been done, and a successful exchange of messages has been carried out, your node number will be assigned permanently. Please note that the granting of a node number is NOT automatic, and it could take 2-4 weeks before you are in the International nodelist. When and if you have a problem, contact the NC, you MUST NOT send your request/problem to the Regional coordinator, or the Zone Coordinator. Only your Network coordinator can help you. Remember the two most basic rules of Fidonet and Communications in general: 1] Thou shalt not excessively annoy others 2] Thou shalt not be too easily annoyed. If you have any problems, please contact your Net Coordinator. Richard Peer NC 7101 29 September 1992