Guidelines: AUST_MODEM, the Australian Modem Conference

1)  Friendly:

We hope you will enjoy and learn from your participation in this
conference.  The topic is (obviously) modems.  Discussion of topics such as
communications software and providers is ok, but only where DIRECTLY
related to modem use.

Please try to direct your posts to issues, not personalities, and try to be
tolerant of what you may perceive as ignorance in others; if you know
better, try your hand at teaching.  We've all been beginners, at modems and
echomail.

While vigorous debate and virulent disagreements are to be expected,
personal insults and ongoing flamewars are simply not tolerable here.

Good humour, where on topic, is always welcome; 'good' meaning not at the
expense of other participants.  If you just can't resist, please direct
your flames and good old-fashioned off-topic discussions to NETMAIL.

All BBSes carrying this conference should offer NETMAIL reply access to all
of its participants; sysops are encouraged to encourage their users to use
it.

It's not friendly to overquote, especially complete messages, to add a line
or two of comment.  Please use, but not abuse, your mail/BBS quoting
facilities.

It's also unfriendly, especially to non-IBM-PC computer users, to post
using non-ASCII characters; the only common character set of all computers
is 7-bit ASCII, thus the use here of characters above decimal 127 is not
permitted.

This isn't the internet.  Use of long signatures, beyond a line or two, is
considered unfriendly to the sysops who cart this echo around the country.


2)  Lawful:

Discussion of hacks, cracks, phone fraud and other clearly illegal
behaviour, whether by the use of modems or otherwise, is completely
off-topic here; there are appropriate echoes for almost all topics, and
there's always NETMAIL.

While some discussion of the legal aspects of modem use may be relevant,
issues such as the relative merits of different communications carriers,
arguments for or against AUSTEL regulations and other primarily legal
and/or political discussions tend to generate much heat but little light,
and are thus best discussed in more suitable conferences, except where
_genuinely_ regarding technical and practical modem use, and issues of
connectivity.


3)  Non-Commercial:

The offering for sale of ANY equipment or software here, new or used, is
not appropriate; please use AUST_TRADING privately, or AUST_ADS for
business ads.

This echomail conference provides BBS users with a non-commercial public
access venue to discuss modems.  It is carried voluntarily by hundreds of
Fidonet sysops across the country, at no direct cost to its participants.

It is thus improper for commercial interests to expect sysops carrying this
conference to bear any of their due costs of direct or indirect
advertising, touting for business, denigration of competitors or their
products, or any other commercial activity.

With that in mind, modem manufacturers, importers, distributors and
resellers are welcome to post to this conference whilever providing genuine
technical support for customers in the best use of their equipment, advice
to help with interoperability with other brands and types of modems, and of
course, within general discussions of modem related communications
technologies.

Specifically:

 * Anyone representing or working for any business that stands to profit
from the sale of communications equipment or software MUST state their
affiliation in any message likely to influence any conference reader to
purchase, or not to purchase, any particular modem, software or related
equipment.

  Suitable might be '(Technical Support, XYZ modems)' or '(reseller of DEF,
  JKL and PQR modems)' in a brief signoff, with a contact phone number.

 * All price enquiries MUST be pursued by private means, at the expense of
the customer and/or the company concerned, such as by phone, post, fax or
by non-routed netmail, and NOT in this conference - whether solicited here,
or not.

 * New or updated product or firmware release information may be posted,
once only per modem- or communications-related product or upgrade, without
prices and with specific direction of inquiries towards the company
concerned for purchasing information.  (Experimental; hopefully not to be
abused.)

Any representative or trader posting messages in breach of these
requirements will be warned, once.  Further posting of commercial material
may then result in withdrawal of write access to this conference, for a
period of time at the moderator's discretion, of any individuals or
companies concerned.  If need be, feeds will be cut from sysops providing
support for continuing abuse.

General:

These guidelines will hopefully be published here monthly, or as necessary.
 Any alternative wordings, additions, ideas or suggestions are most
welcome.

Moderation best takes place by NETMAIL, be it by myself or other
responsible participants of this conference.  If you have a problem with
someone's posts here, please feel free to NETMAIL that person yourself;
usually the receipt of a number of netmail messages will sort out most
problems, sharing the load.

However, do feel free to netmail me to bring matters to my attention if
need be, rather than generating any excess or off-topic traffic in the
conference.

All that said, it's YOUR echo, and it's up to YOU to keep it clean and
lightly oiled - but if it comes down to it, I've got the mop and bucket. 
Enjoy! :)

Ian  (moderator, AUST_MODEM)

--- MaltEd 1.0.b5