NixNet Policy Document
Last updated 2025-03-31
Written by Andrew Leary, NixNet Zone Coordinator
86:86/1@nixnet -or- ajleary19@gmail.com
=============================================================================
NixNet is meant to be a laid-back, friendly and comfortable mail network
where everyone can feel comfortable.  Unfortunately, over the years, there
have been incidents that require us to define a broad network-wide policy
concerning various topics, including what is expected and not allowed in the
network.

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By carrying NixNet on your system, you agree to abide by the following, so
make sure you read and understand this before you submit your application!
*****************************************************************************

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NixNet's Golden Rules:

  1. Treat others as you want to be treated.

  2. A kind word goes much farther than one said in haste or in anger.

  3. Do not be annoying or excessively annoying.

  4. Remember that this is a hobby and everyone has a life to live outside
     of this hobby.

=============================================================================

SECTION I: General Policies

  1. Your membership in NixNet is a privilege, not a right.  Your membership
     may be revoked at any time, with or without reason or notice.  Normally,
     sufficient time and warning is provided to hopefully rectify any situation
     but if after three warnings, your system may be removed from the network
     immediately (please see Section III, Paragraph 6 of this document).

  2. If you decide you no longer wish to participate in NixNet, please contact
     your hub immediately and ask them to remove you from the network.

  3. You are solely responsible for all traffic coming from your BBS and it is
     both expected and required of a NixNet node to prevent any problems
     that could disrupt NixNet in any way.

  4. NixNet is not a "free speech" network meaning that all echoes are
     moderated by the NixNet administration.  We expect everyone to be
     well-mannered in NixNet.  Disagreements happen but we expect that any
     disasgreements will be taken elsewhere, such as netmail.

  5. Absolutely no illegal content is allowed in NixNet in any form.  This
     can include pornography, software cracks for actively developed software,
     "warez" (illegally obtained computer software), personal information
     about someone that was not provided by that person ("doxxing"), or
     anything else the NixNet administration deems as illegal content.  This
     is not an inclusive list and NixNet administration reserves the right
     to determine the legality or the appropriateness of a message.

  6. You can use aliases in all echoes except for NIX_ADMIN.

  7. Network nodelists, and infopacks are released on a weekly
     basis, normally at 0415 Friday Eastern time (UTC -4/-5 DST).  Both
     are hatched out via the NIX_LIST and NIX_INFO filebones, and are available
     via anonymous FTP, and BinkP FREQ.

     For non-FTN systems, you may get the infopack, which always includes
     the latest nodelist, and the latest nodelist via the following:

          FTP: Anonymous FTP to phoenix.bnbbbs.net in
	       /pub/nixnet/nix_info, or nix_list

          Web: http(s)://phoenix.bnbbbs.net/nixnet/NIXINFO.ZIP (infopack)
	       http(s)://phoenix.bnbbbs.net/nixnet/NIXLIST.ZIP (nodelist)
	       (URLs are case-sensitive)

         FREQ: FREQ NIXINFO, NIXLIST at 86:86/1@nixnet or 1:320/219@fidonet.

	  BBS: Log into phoenix.bnbbbs.net

  8. If you find an error in your nodelist entry, please notify your hub as
     soon as possible.  The correction will be published in the next weekly
     nodelist update.  Please note the ZC has nothing to do with nodelist
     changes unless it is at a zone level.  If you contact them about your
     local issues, you will be referred back to your hub.

  9. If there are issues with the weekly nodelist, they will be corrected and
     the new corrected nodelist will be published in the next weekly update
     unless a new nodelist is needed to ensure the network's integrity.

 10. You may use ROT-13 encryption in NixNet but any other type of
     encryption, including GPG, is strictly forbidden in all NixNet
     areas.  NixNet does not use, nor recognize, the "ENC" nodelist flag.

 11. UUencoded traffic is allowed in NixNet.  Examples of this would be
     encoding a small executable and putting the UUencoded file into a message
     and posting it in an echo.  Please be mindful of the size of UUencoded
     programs/information in NixNet.  

 12. Sysops are allowed to have multiple node numbers for multiple BBS systems
     they control directly within reason.  If you are a member of NixNet and
     need another node number, please contact your hub.

 13. Any legal questions are bound to follow the laws of the state of
     Connecticut and the federal laws of the United States of America.


SECTION II: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Compliance

    The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 is a
    regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals
    within the European Union and the European Economic Area.  The GDPR aims
    primarily to give control to citizens and residents over their personal
    data.

    It became enforceable on 25 May 2018.  Because the GDPR is a regulation,
    not a directive, it does not require national governments to pass any
    enabling legislation and is directly binding and applicable.

    After May 25, 2018, companies and organizations can only communicate with
    people who have given their explicit consent.

    Every sysop in the past has requested to be listed in the nodelist
    otherwise they would not be a NixNet sysop so the permission of each
    individual sysop in regions within the European Union as well as the EEA
    has already been obtained. Should any of these sysops feel that their
    privacy is compromised by being listed in the nodelist, please get in
    touch with the appropriate hub and either have the entry removed or
    updated.                                            

    As NixNet is non-commercial and does not compile, store, nor process
    sensitive information, the bulk of the GDPR regulation does not apply to
    us as a group.


SECTION III: Mail/Connection Policies

  1. You can connect to NixNet via a single network feed type.  If you need
     to switch, please contact your hub directly.

  2. Not all network hubs support all mail transfer protocols.  The most
     common protocol for FTN connections is BinkP (BinkD).  Other transfer
     methods are supported by some systems.

  3. If you cannot connect your system properly within two weeks of your
     NixNet node application being approved and your uplink has not been
     notified by you about problems you may be having with your system,  your
     BBS will be removed from the network.

  4. If you have mail problems, contact your hub first!  If your hub does not
     reply within 48 hours, please contact the ZC.

  5. If your system will be down for longer than a day, please let your hub
     know immediately.  If your system is unable to toss mail for a week and
     there is no action from you, your system will be marked "down" in the 
     nodelist.  After another week (two weeks total time) with no notice from
     you, your BBS will be removed from NixNet for no activity.  It is
     imperative that you keep in contact with your hub.

  6. Every NixNet hub has the authority to take any action they deem
     necessary to protect their system's and/or NixNet's safety and
     integrity, with or without notice.  This can include immediate feed cuts.

  7. We will try to help you get NixNet set up as much as we can but you
     need to know how to use your BBS software before you join NixNet. 
     Support like this is given on a "best effort" basis by individual
     NixNet systems and is not guaranteed to be provided at all. 

  8. Unless you are a designated hub for any type of network feed, you, as a
     node, CANNOT be a mail feed.  The sole exception to this is feeding an
     approved point system.

  9. All echomail has to be host routed through 86:86/1.  Peering of any
     kind is not allowed.  If I discover that a hub or a node is peering, I
     will issue one warning.  If this continues, they will be immediately
     removed from the network with prejudice.  This is not FidoNet.

 10. Do not strip seen-bys because this relates to peering.  As with 
     paragraph 9, if I discover that seen-bys are being stripped by a node
     or a hub, I will issue one warning.  Again, this is not FidoNet. 

 11. The ZC has the ability to read any and all messages that are sent through
     his BBS.  This is not normally done but if there are suspected issues,
     the ZC reserves the right to read all messages to preserve the safety and
     functioning of his BBS and NixNet in general.

 12. FTN hubs must have a current nodelist available to their system to ensure
     proper routing of netmail.  It is recommeneded that all FTN nodes keep
     their nodelist in their system up to date to ensure the smooth flow of
     netmail in the network.  Current nodelists are always available from the
     ZC; see Section 1, paragraph 8 of this document.


SECTION VI: Miscellaneous

Violations of the above policy can result in disciplinary action which will
depend on the severity of the policy violation, up to and including immediate
feed cuts and removal from NixNet in extreme cases.

If you have any questions about any of the above policies, please contact me
via in NIX_ADMIN, netmail, email, or leave a private message for me on my BBS.

Thank you for your participation in NixNet!

-- Andrew Leary
   NixNet Zone Coordinator

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