F I D O N E T Policy and Procedures Guide Version 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 OVERVIEW OVERVIEW FidoNet is an amateur electronic mail system. As such, all of its participants and operators are non-paid volunteers. From its early beginnings as a few friends swapping messages back and forth, it has now grown to (October 1985) almost 500 different systems in four countries. FidoNet is now large enough that it would quickly fall apart of its own weight unless some sort of structure and control were imposed on it. Multinet operation provided the structure. Decentralized management provided the control. This document is an attempt to describe the procedures which have been developed to manage the network. 1.1 The Levels of FidoNet 1.1 The Levels of FidoNet With the introduction of multinet Fido in early 1985, FidoNet has developed a hierarchical structure, with the following levels: o The national coordinator o The national coordinator; The national coordinator compiles all of the node lists from all of the regions and networks and creates the master node list, which is then distributed over the net. o The regional coordinator o The regional coordinator; The coordinator maintains the list of independent nodes in his region, and encourages independents to join existing nets or to form new nets. A coordinator does not perform routing services for the nodes in his region. o The network host o The network host; The host is responsible for maintaining the list of nodes for his net, and for receiving and forwarding any mail coming to the net from outside. o The network routing hub o The network routing hub; Network routing hubs exist only in three- tiered regional nets. They generally share some or all of the duties of the host, in order to ease the management of a large regional net. The exact duties and procedures are a matter for the host and his hubs to settle, and will not be discussed here. The network host is still responsible for the maintenance of the net. o The system operator (sysop) o The system operator (sysop); The sysop formulates his own policy for running his board and dealing with his users, so that will not be discussed in this document. However, the sysop must also mesh with the rest of the FidoNet system if he is to send and receive ____ mail, and that will be discussed here. o The user o The user; Policy and procedures for the individual user on any given board is determined by the system operator of that board, and will not be considered in this document. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 1 Overview Chapter 2 Chapter 2 SYSOP PROCEDURES SYSOP PROCEDURES A sysop of an individual node can pretty much do as he pleases, as long as he observes the mail events and is not excessively annoying to other nodes on the net and does not promote the distribution of pirated copyrighted software. An independent node which is not part of a regional net need only observe the National Mail Hour. National Mail Hour is the heart of FidoNet, as this is when network mail is passed between systems. Any system which wishes to be a part ____ of FidoNet must be able to receive mail at this time. Failure to do so is sufficient grounds for any node to be dropped from the net without notice (since notice is generally given by FidoNet mail). If you find yourself "in the dog house" (shown at the end of the national node list), then that means that your host or coordinator is unable to contact you. You should rectify the problem and report back. National Mail Hour is observed from 0900 to 1000 GMT every day, weekends included. In each of the United States time zones, this would be as follows: Eastern Standard Time 4 AM to 5 AM Central Standard Time 3 AM to 4 AM Mountain Standard Time 2 AM to 3 AM Pacific Standard Time 1 AM to 2 AM Hawaii Standard Time 11 PM to Midnight ___ FidoNet does not observe daylight savings time. In areas which observe daylight savings time the FidoNet mail schedules must be adjusted in the same direction as the clock change. Alternatively, you can simply leave your system on standard time. If you are in a regional net, then you will probably be required to schedule additional mail events. Check with your network host for more details. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 2 Sysop 2.1 How to get a node number 2.1 How to get a node number You must first obtain a current node list, so that you can send mail. You do not need a node number to send mail, but you must have one in order for others to send mail to you. The first step in obtaining a current node list is to locate a Fido bulletin board. No help there; you're on your own. Most bulletin board lists include at least a few Fido systems, and usually identify them as such, so this shouldn't be too hard. If the sysop of any Fido system does not have a node list available for downloading, then he can probably tell you where to get one. Once you have a node list, you must determine which net or region covers your area. Nets are listed first, and always have a three digit number. Nets are more restricted in area than regions, but are generally preferred since they provide more services to their members. If you cannot find a net which covers your area, then pick the region which does. Regions are listed after nets in the node list, and always have a two digit number. The United States is divided into ten regions, so that you are certainly in a region even if you are not near a net. Once you have located the net or region in your area, send a request for a node number to node zero of that net or region. The request ____ ____ must be sent by FidoNet mail, and must include at least the following: 1) Your name. 2) Your current mailing address. 3) Your telephone number (voice). 4) The name of your system. 5) The city and state where your system is located. 6) The phone number to be used when calling your system. 7) Your hours of operation. 8) The maximum baud rate you can support. Your host or coordinator may want additional information. If so, he will contact you. Please allow two weeks for a node number request to be processed. 2.2 If you are going down 2.2 If you are going down If your node will be down for an extended period (more than a day or two), then you should inform your network host or regional coordinator ___________________ as soon as possible. If you do not do this, then other systems will still try to reach you while you are down, much to the annoyance of ______________________________ everyone. Do not under any circumstances put an answering machine or similar device on your phone line while you are down. If you do, then calling systems will get the machine repeatedly, racking up large ____ phone bills, which is very annoying. If your system goes down without warning, then you may be placed in the dog house, or even removed from the node list completely. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 3 Sysop 2.3 How to join a net 2.3 How to join a net If you are an independent node and would like to join a net in your area, you must contact the network host. He can be reached by sending FidoNet mail to node zero of the net. He will inform you of any special mail schedules and/or routing required by the net. Your regional coordinator will contact you to confirm that you wish to join the net. Once you have been placed in the net, you will be informed by the network host. There are many advantages to being in a regional net. First and foremost is that it helps reduce congestion of the net during National Mail Hour. Also, many nets are "outbound" as well as "inbound", which can substantially reduce your phone bills. In addition, net members receive regular updates of the node list and Fidonews, while an independent node may not. 2.4 How to form a net 2.4 How to form a net If there are several nodes in your area, but no regional net, then you may wish to form your own. Again, this has several advantages as outlined above. Your first step is to contact the other sysops in your area. You must decide which nodes will comprise the net, and which of those nodes is going to be the inbound host. Your next step is to inform your regional coordinator. You must send him a FidoNet message with the following information: 1) The region number(s), or network number(s) if a net is splitting up, that are affected by the formation of your net. The regional coordinator will inform the national coordinator and the hosts of any affected networks that a new net is in formation. 2) The name that you wish to call your net. Please try to select a name that relates to your grouping. For example, SoCalNet for nodes in the Southern California Area and MassNet for Massachusettes Area. Remember if you call yourself DOGNET it doesn't help others know what area of the country your group is in. 3) A copy of the proposed net's nodelist. The nodelist file should be named Frrr-nnn.NET where rrr is the proposed host's current region or net number and nnn is his current node number. For example, if the proposed host is currently listed as node 5 in region 13, then you would name the file F013-005.NET. This file should be sent attached to the message of application for a Net Number. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 4 Sysop SAMPLE FORMAT OF A Frrr-nnn.NET FILE Host,xxx,St_Louis_Area, St_Louis_MO,Ken_Kaplan, 1-314-432-4129,2400 Pvt ,076,Ben's_Bakery, Godfrey_IL, Ben_Baker, -Unpublished-, 1200 Down,482,Dirty_Ole_Man, Wood_Riv_IL,Ervin_Cole, 1-618-254-2763,1200 Down,004,Bulldog, St_Louis_MO,Tony_Clark, 1-314-441-9297,2400 ,010,MDC_RCC, St_Louis_MO,Terry_Mueller, 1-314-232-6881,2400 ,016,Mikes_Board, St_Louis_MO,Mike_Mellinger,1-314-726-3448,2400 Down,017,DCA_BBS, St_Louis_MO,Jon_Wichman, 1-314-962-2751,1200 Hold,022,PCLUG, St_Louis_MO,Ken_Kaplan, 1-314-576-2743,2400 ,051,DECUS_Central, St_Louis_MO,Ken_Kaplan, 1-314-432-4129,2400 ,339,Midnight_Cnct, St_Louis_MO,Ray_Weil, 1-314-961-1585,1200 Pvt ,492,Neu's_Node, Omaha_NB, Paul_Neu, -Unpublished-, 2400 Pvt ,500,Alex'_Fido, St_Louis_MO,Alex_Hartley, -Unpublished-, 1200 ,501,ZIGGY's_Castle,Fenton_MO, Mike_Cravens, 1-314-225-9684,1200 ,502,ALADINs_Castle,St_Louis_MO,Bob_Russ, 1-314-741-3050,1200 When the national coordinator receives the above items from the regional coordinator, the information received will be verified and a net number assigned. A FidoNet mail message will be sent to all affected with the assigned net number. ______ Do not send a net number request to the national coordinator. All net ____ number requests must be processed by the regional coordinator first. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 5 Sysop Chapter 3 Chapter 3 HOST PROCEDURES HOST PROCEDURES A network host has the following responsibilities: 1) To receive incoming mail for nodes in his network, and to deliver it to its recipients. 2) To assign node numbers to nodes in his network. 3) To maintain the node list for his network, and to send a copy of it to the national coordinator whenever it changes. 4) To pass along to his nodes new national node lists and new issues of Fidonews as they are received. 5) To forward newsletter submissions to the Fidonews publisher. 3.1 Routing inbound mail 3.1 Routing inbound mail It is your responsibility as network host to receive all inbound mail for nodes in your network and to forward it to its recipients. You are left to your own discretion as to how best to accomplish this. 3.2 Assigning node numbers 3.2 Assigning node numbers It is your responsibility to assign node numbers to new nodes in your net. You may also change the numbers of existing nodes in your net, though you should check with your member nodes before doing so. You may assign any numbers you wish, so long as each node has a unique number within your net. You should not assign a node number to any system unless and until you have received a formal request from that system by FidoNet mail. This will ensure that the system is at least minimally operational. The strict maintenance of this policy has been one of the great strengths of FidoNet. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 6 Host 3.3 Maintaining the node list 3.3 Maintaining the node list You should attempt to implement name changes, phone number changes, etc. in your node list as soon as possible, and to forward the revised node list to the national coordinator whenever a change occurs. You should also on occasion send a "broadcast message" to every node in your network to ensure that they are still operational. If a node turns out to be "off the air" with no prior warning given to you, then you can either mark the node as down, place it in the dog house, or remove it from the node list completely, at your own discretion. If a node in your net is acting in a sufficiently annoying manner, then you can take whatever action you deem fit, according to the circumstances of the case. 3.4 Passing along node lists and Fidonews 3.4 Passing along node lists and Fidonews As a network host, you should from time to time receive a new issue of Fidonews or an updated node list. The node list is posted weekly on Friday, and Fidonews is published weekly on Monday. You should pass both of these along to your member nodes as soon as is practical after you receive them. It is also desirable that you make them both available for downloading by the general user, but this is not required. Fidonews and the node lists are the glue that holds us together. Without them, we cease to be a community, and become just another bunch of bulletin boards. 3.5 Forwarding newsletter submissions 3.5 Forwarding newsletter submissions The node list gives us our structure, but Fidonews gives us our character. Fidonews is the primary medium by which sysops hear from each other. It is Fidonews which gives us the sense of being a community of people with common interests. Accordingly, you should encourage sysops and users in your net to contribute to Fidonews. If you receive any submissions, you should forward them to the Fidonews publisher. Think of yourself as being a regional bureau chief on the Fidonews editorial staff. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 7 Host Chapter 4 Chapter 4 REGIONAL COORDINATOR PROCEDURES REGIONAL COORDINATOR PROCEDURES A regional coordinator has the following responsibilities: 1) To assign node numbers to independent nodes in his region. 2) To maintain the node list for his region, and to send a copy of it to the national coordinator whenever it changes. 3) To encourage independent nodes in his region to join existing nets, or to form new nets. 4) To pass along to inbound hosts in his region new national node lists and new issues of Fidonews as they are received. 5) To forward newsletter submissions to the Fidonews publisher. 4.1 Assigning node numbers 4.1 Assigning node numbers It is your responsibility to assign node numbers to new nodes in your region. You may also change the numbers of existing nodes in your region, though you should check with the respective nodes before doing so. You may assign any numbers you wish, so long as each node has a unique number within your region. You should not assign a node number to any system unless and until you have received a formal request from that system by FidoNet mail. This will ensure that the system is at least minimally operational. The strict maintenance of this policy has been one of the great strengths of FidoNet. If you receive a node number request from a new node that is in an area covered by an existing regional net, then you should forward the request to the network host instead of assigning a number yourself. 4.2 Maintaining the node list 4.2 Maintaining the node list You should attempt to implement name changes, phone number changes, etc. in your node list as soon as possible, and to forward the revised node list to the national coordinator whenever a change occurs. You should also on occasion send a "broadcast message" to every node in your region to ensure that they are still operational. If a node turns out to be "off the air" with no prior warning given to you, then you can either mark the node as down, place it in the dog house, or remove it from the node list completely, at your own discretion. If a node in your region is acting in a sufficiently annoying manner, then you can take whatever action you deem fit, according to the circumstances of the case. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 8 Coordinator 4.3 Encouraging the formation and growth of nets 4.3 Encouraging the formation and growth of nets One of your main duties as a regional coordinator is to promote the growth of nets in your region. You should try to avoid having independent nodes in your region which are within the coverage area of a regional net. There are, however, ___ certain cases where a node should not be a member of a net, such as a commercial system with a large volume of traffic which would clog the net. The resolution of such special cases is left to your own discretion. If several independent nodes in your region are in a "clump", then you should encourage them to form a regional net. Refer to the sysop forming a regional net procedure on forming a regional net for details of what information you should get. Note that this does not mean to encourage the formation of trivial nets. Obviously, one node does not make a net. The exact number of nodes required for an effective net must be judged according to the circumstances of the situation, and is left to your own discretion. 4.4 Passing along node lists and Fidonews 4.4 Passing along node lists and Fidonews As a regional coordinator, you should from time to time receive a new issue of Fidonews or an updated node list. The node list is posted weekly on Friday, and Fidonews is published weekly on Monday. You should pass both of these along to any network hosts in your ___ region as soon as is practical after you receive them. You are not required to mail them to any independent nodes in your region, though you may if you wish. It is also desirable that you make them both available for downloading by the general user, but this is not required. 4.5 Forwarding newsletter submissions 4.5 Forwarding newsletter submissions You should encourage sysops and users in your region to contribute to Fidonews. If you receive any submissions, you should forward them to the Fidonews publisher. Think of yourself as being a regional bureau chief on the Fidonews editorial staff. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 9 Coordinator Chapter 5 Chapter 5 NATIONAL COORDINATOR PROCEDURES NATIONAL COORDINATOR PROCEDURES The national coordinator for FidoNet has the primary task of maintaining the master node list, as well as the node list for region 1. From this are derived several additional responsibilities and powers. However, these powers are rarely (if ever) used. The ___ national coordinator is very much King Log, not King Stork. The national coordinator, if he acts at all, will normally restrict himself to negotiating with the parties involved in an attempt to achieve a peaceful resolution. If a system has been dropped from the node list, and can present a sufficiently convincing case to the national coordinator, then he can be granted status as an "independent at large" in region 1. In an extreme case, the national coordinator can order the disbanding of a regional net, or can assign a new coordinator for a region, but ____ this is highly unlikely. The national coordinator will only take such action in an extreme situation which threatens the existence and integrity of FidoNet. ________________ The national coordinator will take no action at all unless all other means of settlement have already been tried. His first step in resolving any dispute will be to contact the regional coordinators and network hosts involved. If they have not been consulted by the injured party or otherwise made aware of the situation, then the complaint will be dismissed out of hand. ________________ He will also take no action unless in his opinion the matter is serious enough to warrant his attention. If all means of recourse have been tried to no avail, and if the national coordinator feels that the situation is grave enough to warrant his intervention, then and only then he will intercede and take whatever action he feels is appropriate, at his own discretion. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 10 National Chapter 6 Chapter 6 RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES The world not being perfect, sometimes troubles crop up. Any organization larger than a cub scout pack needs some sort of grievance procedure, and FidoNet is no exception. The FidoNet judicial philosophy can be summed up in two rules: Thou shalt not excessively annoy others. 1) Thou shalt not excessively annoy others. Thou shalt not be too easily annoyed. 2) Thou shalt not be too easily annoyed. In other words, there are no hard and fast rules of conduct, but ____ reasonably polite behavior is expected. Also, in any dispute both sides are examined, and action could be taken against either or both parties. ("Judge not, lest ye be judged!") 6.1 Problems with another node 6.1 Problems with another node If you are having problems with another node, you should complain to your network host and/or his network host. If one or both of you is not in a net, then complain to the appropriate regional coordinator. 6.2 Problems with a network host 6.2 Problems with a network host If you are having problems with your network host and feel that you are not being treated properly, there are a few things you can do. The first step is to contact your regional coordinator. If he feels that your case has merit, and cannot resolve it in any other way, then he may grant you independent status. You will then no longer be a part of the regional net, and will probably no longer receive Fidonews and node list updates, so don't ask unless you are sure you want out. If you fail to obtain relief from your regional coordinator, then you can appeal to the national coordinator. 6.3 Problems with a regional coordinator 6.3 Problems with a regional coordinator If you are having problems with your regional coordinator, then you should first try to join or form a regional net in your area. If this fails, you can appeal to the national coordinator. 6.4 Problems with the national coordinator 6.4 Problems with the national coordinator If you are having problems with the national coordinator, then you are out of luck. You can either live with it, drop out and forget it, or join with some friends and start another mail system of your own. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 11 National 6.5 Appeals to the national coordinator 6.5 Appeals to the national coordinator If you are unable to obtain relief from your regional coordinator, then you can appeal to the national coordinator. If your case is sufficiently extreme and meritorious, then you may be granted status as an "independent at large" (that is, an independent in region 1, not a part of any net or region). This is an extreme case, and has never actually come to pass thus far. The national coordinator has broad and sweeping powers which he almost never uses. You should be very, very sure of the strength of your case before going this far. Also, the first step taken by the national coordinator in investigating any dispute is to contact any regional coordinators and network hosts concerned. If you have not followed the proper channels, then your case will be dismissed out of hand. In other words, don't go to the national coordinator until you have tried __________ everything else. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 12 National 6.6 Case Histories 6.6 Case Histories A few actual case histories of past disputes may be instructive to show general procedures and methods. Names have been left out to protect the guilty. 6.6.1 The Case of the Crooked Node 6.6.1 The Case of the Crooked Node A sysop of a local node was using network mail to engage in unethical business practices. His net host became very annoyed at this, and dropped the local from his node list. The local appealed to his regional coordinator for assignment as an independent node. The coordinator, on checking with the network host, decided that the host was within his rights to be annoyed. Independent status was denied. The national coordinator did not intervene. 6.6.2 The Case of the Hacker Mailer 6.6.2 The Case of the Hacker Mailer A sysop of a local node made use of file attaches for extra users to mail himself the USER.BBS file from several local boards. The sysops of these boards felt annoyed at this, and appealed to their network host. The host agreed and dropped the offending node from the node list. The regional coordinator was not consulted. The national coordinator did not intervene. 6.6.3 The Case of the Network Mutiny 6.6.3 The Case of the Network Mutiny Several local nodes became annoyed with their network host for failing to provide services. They complained to their host, but nothing was done. They appealed to their regional coordinator, who decided that they were justified in their annoyance and accepted their application for a new net number. The national coordinator assigned the net number, based on the regional coordinator's recommendation. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 13 National 6.6.4 The Case of the Bothered Barker 6.6.4 The Case of the Bothered Barker A local node became annoyed with his network host for failing to provide services. Repeated complaints to his host did not satisfy him, so he appealed to the national coordinator. The national coordinator, on seeing that the regional coordinator had not been consulted, dismissed the complaint out of hand. The local node submitted his complaint to his regional coordinator, who investigated the case and discovered that there was some justice to the complaint. He advised and assisted the network host in configuring his system to provide an improved level of service to the local nodes. The regional coordinator also decided that the local node was being too easily annoyed, in that he was expecting services not normally required of a network host. The local node was informed as to the true duties of a network host, and was advised to lower his expectations. 6.6.5 The Case of the Busy Beaver 6.6.5 The Case of the Busy Beaver A local node which was operated by a retail establishment was engaged in making "bombing runs" to mail advertisements over the net. His network host felt annoyed and handling the outgoing traffic for a commercial operation, and asked the local node to leave the net. The local node applied to the regional coordinator, and was granted status as an independent node. 6.6.6 The Mark of the Devil 6.6.6 The Mark of the Devil A local sysop whose board was used in conjunction with voodoo rites, hacking, phreaking, and obscene material applied to a network host for a node number. The host deemed that this board was exceptionally annoying, and denied the request. The regional coordinator was not consulted. The national coordinator dismissed the case out of hand. 6.6.7 The Case of the Sysop Twit 6.6.7 The Case of the Sysop Twit A patron of various local nodes had been roundly recognized by all sysops as a twit. The user obtained his own system, became a sysop, and applied for a node number. The network host denied the request. No appeals were made. FidoNet Policy and Procedures Page 14 National