RIME CONFERENCE RULES 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 SC. 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 Relaynet's chit-chat conference. If you are asked by a Conference Host or Steering Committee 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 Do not quote whole messages and then add only one or two lines as your response.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 Relaynet 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 SC 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. Messages in the COMMON conference are limited to 10 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 geographically areas, post messages as you would on a "live" bulletin board or make general announcements. Please do not "hang out" in the COMMON conference, (although you may use r/o, routed messages to carry on extended conversations on any topic, and those messages may be of any length.) 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 Relaynet 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 SC and the Conference Coordinators 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 and not send the same ad more than once a week. They may send significantly different ads daily. b - personal ads are allowed every few days. c - all ads for software must include the words "includes all original disks and manuals" and that is all - they do not have to include original packaging if all disks and manuals are sold. 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 dialoging with or to STEERCOM 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. Dissatifaction 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 a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached, then feel free to message with STEERCOM in the COMMON Conference by routed, R/O message only or openly with the conference host in the USERS conference. To reach all members of the Steering Committee at once, enter your private, routed message with the TO: field addressed as STEERCOM and multicast the message to the following sites: ->2 3 5 6 7 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 Steering Committee approval. 15. Any user or sysop threatening to involve Relaynet in a law suit or legal battle, at the discretion of the CL or SC, 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 CL=Conference Liason SC=Steering Committee R/O=receiver only, private