NewNet IRC Network

CLIENTS:
Upon connecting to a NewNet server, your machine will be scanned for insecure proxy servers. Do not connect to a NewNet server if you do not consent to this scan. It is necessary to prevent network abuse.

All servers require identd authorization for connection. This does NOT mean you won't connect, it is for certain security measures.

IRC SERVERS:
1. Servers must be approved by the machine or site administrator before being compiled, run, or linked to NewNet.

2. Server admins must keep their server and conf files up-to-date with current newnet standards. This is especially important during these early stages of development since we cannot see how well certain modifications we make as a group will function on the network as a whole until everyone is running the updated server code. The requirement of all servers to run NTPD or similar type of TS process is mandatory.

3. Servers will have non-abusive IRC operators. /kill should only be used in extreme situations (flood/clone bots, ghosted users, hung clients only when user@*domain matches.) The main server admins (admins with conf file/machine access) will be responsible for choosing people they trust and that have a knowledge of the duties of an irc oper. Abuse of operator proveleges by any server operator is grounds for link removal. /squit should not be used unless a server needs to be re-routed and the person sending the /squit remote-connects it where it is supposed to go. At no time should /squit be used if the admins of the /squit server are active and can do the routing themselves. At all times /squit and /kill should be commented so all opers know why the action occurred. If you think someone may need to /msg to ask why you killed a user, think of a better comment. A good rule of thumb is, when in doubt..don't.

4. /wallops is not to be used as an operator discussion channel, it is meant to notify opers and interested (+w) users of changing network conditions.
Examples:

/wallops I'm going to reroute server A from server B to server C, any objections?

/wallops eskimo will be going down for an upgrade in 5 minutes, expect a netsplit and netjoin in a few.
/wallops should not be responded to with /wallops, use /msg to the sending oper instead. Abuse of /wallops is considered abuse of oper privileges and will be dealt with accordingly.

5. Links for servers will be judged on the following criteria:
a. server stability. If a server has an uptime of 4 hours before it is brought down for some reason or another, it probably won't make a good hub.

b. machine/link speed and stability. If your link is saturated, the server won't do well because it won't have enough bandwidth to keep up with the rest of the network. Memory is also a concern, a hub server takes up more RAM than a leaf, and also more network bandwidth.

c. attitude and abuse level of operators on the server. If you are the server admin, it is your responsibility to see that the operators on your server follow this policy.

d. server configuration and admin knowledge. Not saying you have to know everything there is to know about the server config and unix, but a server that is configured properly and is running the most current version stands a much better chance of getting an H: line.
6. Servers IRCD should not be hacked except by the group working on the protocol updates. All servers need to require identd authorization to connect, even for their own hosts. Identd is widespread enough (they even have it for windoze, etc) that this will not be a problem.

7. IRC operators must be willing to help users to the extent needed to maintain a trouble-free, good-natured net. This does not mean opers have to hold users' hands and walk them through everything, but at least point them to a good source of information. IRC operators are not permitted and will not intervene/interfere in channel policies except when asked by the founder or an active channel operator. IRC operators may, if necessary, enter a channel that is causing a problem with the network and take necessary actions to resolve the issue.

8. User bots are allowed on NewNet, but not to the point of being abusive by performing any takeover, cloning, flooding or performing annoybots routines. These types of bots should be /killed and the user's account K: lined from the server they are/were using. We may also want to discuss global K: lines for this type of user. Non-abusive bots are not to be killed. 6 or more connections from a single user@host are considered abusive and may well be netbots and should be K: lined.

9. When a user is K: lined, if practical, email them and tell them why. At the server admins' discression, a K: lined user can be allowed back on newnet. For clonebots or abusive behavior, cc: mail to root@theuser's domain or provider and newnet-list@newnet.net.

10. Newnet's Spoofing Policy

NewNet IRC Network