AfterX Charter
From Afterxwiki
DATE OF CHARTER: 20th March, 2006
APPROVED: ------
Contents |
Section 1: Statement of Purpose
AfterX is a network of IRC servers devoted to the users. AfterX's primary purpose is to provide users an environment in which they can come and have an enjoyable experience, and get away from the rest of the world for a while.
AfterX IRCops (Opers) are here to help the users have an enjoyable IRC experience. This includes answering questions and helping users as needed.
Admins are responsible for making sure the network runs smoothly, and that their IRCops follow the guidelines and rules set forth by net-com and this charter. Admins also assume the role of a normal IRCop to help answer questions for users.
The committees are set up to assist the IRCops, admins and users in making the network enjoyable for all. The committees are not set up to run the network. They are meant to guide the network along and ensure that AfterX thrives.
Section 2: Committee Setup and Operation
Committees will take action only when there is a majority vote in favor of the action(s). Voting will take place through the e-mail lists or in meetings. Each committee is required to have one meeting per month to review issues of importance. The dates and times of monthly meetings will be decided by the committee. These meetings can be private (limited to the committee members) or public (anyone can come in) as determined by the committee. All voting periods are seven days. A majority vote is a majority of those who voted within the deadline period, and those who abstained will bring the overall majority down, since they have removed themselves from that voting process. Those who did not vote are also countained as having abstained. A committee majority are votes requiring a majority of all the committee members - thus abstaining or not voting would be count as an inaction vote (usually a no-vote).
Net-com: This committee is the political backbone of the network and is made up of server admins and any co-admins. All admins are entitled to express their opinions in meetings and on the mailing list.
The Network Committee is represented by 1 admin/IRCop per server, giving each server equal representation in the core of the network. Exceptions will be made for net-com members if a server has two admins who each split equal responsibility on the server; they both will be allowed on net-com, though only one of their votes count. *note: It is recommended that servers with two members on net-com discuss each issue and come up with a joint decision.
Net-Com shall promptly and effectivly resolve any issues/complaints sent to it.
Net-Com is the core authority of this network.
Committee members shall investigate continuous abuse by a user. They may recommend that the user receive an akill. The recommendation is forwarded to user-com, along with all the data collected, for a vote. For a user to be removed from the network a majority vote from either net-com or user-com must be reached. Either committee has the power to set an akill. IRCops/admins are expected to comply with a request from user-com to add an akill promptly.
Any complaints involving another administrator, IRCop, or an akill request for a user shall be sent to the Net-Com for review. The committee shall reach a decision within 120 hours (5 days). Include any logs or other documents with your complaint. Forged documentation will result in immediate disposal of the complaint. The user/IRCop/admin guilty of the forging will be dealt with, either with an akill, removal of status, or server being delinked.
Should the committee reject your complaint, you shall have the right to request a vote of user-com if 4 members of the committee are willing to support your complaint.
Net-Com will vote on whether a server becomes a permanent link or not. A majority of net-com needs to vote yes for the server to become a permanent link.
Any one Net-com member may take immediate action if need be. They must then let net-com know of the reasons behind there action and send logs/documentation supporting their action.
Net-Com members may be recalled by a vote of user-com for abuse of their authority. Recall proceedings must first be supported by FIVE members of user-com. A discussion and voting period will take place within 5 days of the complaint. In lieu of an administrator being removed from his net-com post, an alternate member of the server, either a co-admin, or IRCop will represent the server in net-com.
Net-Com Authority:
Net-Com may propose action without a complaint being filed. In effect, a Net-Com member may file a complaint.
Net-Com may request action to be taken against an IRCop by his/her admin. The action taken is up to the admin but must be satisfactory to a majority of net-com. If the action is not satisfactory to a majority of net-com, net-com will provide options to the admin that are acceptable. The admin then has 3 days to exercise one of the options provided him or risk action against him and/or his server by net-com.
Net-Com has total authority over the network owned channels. This includes the official administrator/IRCop channel and help channel. Net-Com has full authority to remove anyone from those channels for any length of time they feel is necessary, including a permanent ban from the channel. A single Net-Com committee member shall have the authority to ban anyone on Network owned channels for a time period not to exceed 1 day. However, that member must be able to show just cause for the ban. If a permanent ban is to take place, net-com must have a majority vote on it. If the person in subject is an admin, they will have no voting rights on this particular issue.
Net-Com may permanently delink any new server during that server's test-link period of two weeks. However, for this to be done at least 51% of the network committee shall approve of that action.
The Net-Com committee shall handle complaints and questions about the Channel Service, the NickName Service and any registered channel. The network committee is permitted to delegate additional IRCops to assist in handling questions and/or problems.
Any repeated/continued harrassment of any user/IRCop/admin by another user/IRCop/admin that is deemed by a majority vote of Net-com, after review of pertinent logs/memos/messages and any other evidence, to be detrimental to AfterX will be dealt with at the discretion of net-com. User-com remains the first point for all complaints involving a user and shall place those recommendations to net-com. Those recommendations must be voted upon by net-com whether to carry out all, some or none of the recommendations. Such actions, whether at the discretion of net-com or at user-com's recommendations may include, but not limited to: akill, channel closure, server delink, and demotion (loss of O:line).
Limitations:
When ever possible a network committee member shall attempt to solve any problem that arises without having to bring it before net-com.
For minor violations, first time or infrequent offenses a warning should be considered rather than punitive action. The network committee is not bound by this, however it's strongly suggested.
Net-Com may not make decisions contrary to the spirit of AfterX. At all times decisions must be made using the charter and any pertaining amendments. At no time may decisions be based on personal bias.
If a complaint is filed against a Net-Com committee member, that member shall have no voting privileges on that complaint. Other Net-Com members must place their friendships aside when handling this type of complaint. Only policy and the benefit of the network as a whole should be considered.
At no time may the network committee amend the AfterX charter alone. Charter amendments must be approved by a majority of net-com, and a majority of user-com.
User-com: This committee is made up of a minimum of 7 members with the total membership being an odd-number, and the majority of the membership must be made up of users. Users being defined as anyone who is not a server admin, co-admin, or global IRC operator of AfterX. A minimum of two voting IRCops or Admins must be on the committee. User-com is responsible for making suggestions/comments of the users known to the appropriate party. User complaints will be taken to the offending party first and, if not resolved, taken to the appropriate IRCop, admin, or committee with suggestion(s) as to an appropriate course of action.
Web-com: This committee will determine it's own makeup. Web-com is responsible for keeping the AfterX web page current and accurate.
Dev-com: The dev-com chairperson is a voluntary position, approved by net-com and is reviewed on a regular basis. This person is responsible for keeping services and the ircd up to date, and continually improving it. This is done by testing the new updates on testnet, for final bug checking, evaluation and importance of commands by anyone on testnet. Then, the dev-com chairperson or any member of net-com may call an ARV in net-com to approve the changes to be made to AfterX. Any changes to AfterX software must be first done with an entire backup of the current databases and is distributable to the services hub admins, regardless of how small the changes are. Dev-com is an open committee, anyone can work with the coding and submit patches and new features, a more precise committee makeup may be decided by the chairperson if the proposed ideas are accepted by net-com.
Training-com: The net-com elected chairperson of this comittee will determine the makeup. Training-com is responsible for overseeing and managing the training of all opers and admins, and the for the upkeep of net-com approved training materials, known as the "OperPak". In addition to carrying out any other training requests as directed by net-com
Section 3: Servers
No AfterX server is allowed more than 6 operators. This limit includes server administrators, global operators and local operators. This limit does not include backup operators.
Any server found with more than 6 operators will have two days, from the time the server administrator is notified, to comply with this amendment. After this time period expires, the server violating this amendment may be delinked after a vote of Net-com.
An AfterX server can be immediatley de-linked if it is discovered that any of the information on the server application filed for the server is misrepresented, exaggerated, or otherwise falsified. A server can also be de-linked if it is discovered that an admin or IRC operator is added to the server during the test-link period without prior approval of net-com. See Section 2 for de-link procedures.
All AfterX servers are required to share any common AfterX configuarations, IRCd and associated modules and server OS/software are kept up to date as advised by Service Operators, Net-Admin or Net-Com. Failure to do so will result in potential vulnerabilities and causes reliability issues to AfterX. Such servers may be delinked or its Admins demoted/replaced by Net-Com if they fail to meet AfterX's standards and Net-Com's expectations.
Section 4: IRCop/Admin Code of Conduct/Responsibilities
Services Operators
i) These people will have a high access level on OperServ, 8 or higher as approved and trusted by Net-Com. The range of selected individuals should be able to cover as much as the world timezones as possible to ensure sufficient round-the-clock cover. The person hosting services are also eligible to be granted access to Services Operators status.
ii) Net-Com reserves the right to remove any Services Operators without notice.
iii) They are there to maintain services, this include that services are properly routed and restarting if required to ensure that they are responding adequately and also to overlook the OperServ access list, such as adding new perm-link admins at level 4.
iv) They are responsible to apply any approved patches. Due to our testnet network facility, is not an absolute requirement to have the dev-com chairperson to be a services operator, nor the coder whose patch/update is being applied, and cannot be allowed unless Net-Com approves this.
v) Disabling or enabling any commands, or changing the levels required to use them must be approved by Net-Com.
Admins:
[Admins] and co-admins are required to be on AfterX (not just idling) and in the channel #AfterX-help a minimum of 10 hours per week. Written explanation must be sent to Net-Com if an admin cannot be on the required 10 hours per week.
Admins are responsible for keeping their IRCd current including common AfterX files including a large part of the ircd.conf and ircd.rules)
Admins are responsible for the training of their IRCops - although Training-Com can assist and any IRCops must pass the standard Oper Test by a training-com member. Any action taken by an IRCop is the responsibility of the admin.
Admins must follow all rules listed for IRCops. This does not change the 10 hour online requirement for Admins.
IRCops:
IRCops are required to be helpful and attempt to answer any IRC related question asked of them.
IRCops are required to spend a minimum of 2 hours per week on AfterX in channel #AfterX-help
IRCops cannot nuke or otherwise harass users/admins/IRCops of AfterX or any other network they may be visiting at any time for any reason.
IRCops are not to get involved in channel matters unless requested by the founder or a majority of the current channel operators of that channel, OR if there are NO active channel operators. If there are NO active ops, an IRCop is permitted to aid the channel if there are problems (i.e. flooding). Once the problem is solved, the IRCop must IMMEDIATELY deop themselves, send a memo to the founder of the channel explaining the situation, and send logs of the incident to opers@AfterX.org.
If there are no problems, an IRCop may NOT op themself on any channel on which they have no access, or join a channel and demand a ban be removed or /kill a channel operator for kick/banning you. However, if a channel is in despair, and has absolutely no active ops, you may aid the channel. It is extremely important that an IRC operator not interfere with a channel if there are no problems, and doing so WILL result in punishment.
Section 5: Use of Kill/Akill
Use of /kill should be very limited. Acceptable reasons include channel takeovers, constant akick/ban evasion, clone bots, or other similar infractions.
Acceptable reasons for akills include: D.O.S. (denial of service) attacks, akill evasion, damage to servers, major abuse of services, repeated mass advertising of other networks, or other similar infractions. It should be noted that ctcp (ping, time, finger, etc.) private floods are not akillable offences as this situation can be remedied with the use of /ignore or /kill.
Section 6: AfterX Rights
AfterX is not responsible for anything you may see/receive on this network. AfterX, it's administrators, IRC operators, users, committee members, resource providers, or any other agents are not liable for any damage caused by your use, or the inability to use, the AfterX IRC network. AfterX reserves the right to define and determine any information to be prohibited from, or allowed on the network with or without the accord of any nations laws.
AfterX has a core set of rules, which can be found by typing /rules on IRC.
AfterX does not tolerate slanderous and/or abusive channel topics or channel names or hate channels. Hate channels, defined as any channel which negatively targets a group of people based on race, religion or culture, are not permitted on AfterX. This statement gives AfterX IRC operators the authority to handle these situations immediately in the following manner:
1. For slanderous/abusive channel topics, the IRC operator will request the channel topic be changed, or the channel be set to mode +s so the topic does not show up in a channel list.
2. For slanderous/abusive channel names, the IRC operator will request that the channel be dropped if registered, or vacated if not registered.
3. If the IRC operator is not successful in 1 and/or 2, the IRC operator has the authority to drop and/or otherwise secure the channel.
4. If a user, after being warned, continues to make slanderous and/or abusive channel topics or channel names, the IRC operator has the authority to kill or akill for a standard period. Long akills should be recommended to user-com if the user(s) persists.
If an IRC operator secures or drops a channel, or sets an akill for a slanderous and/or abusive channel topic or channel name, the IRC operator must immediately send an email, including logs and channel information, to Opers. Either Net-com or User-com has the right to overrule the decision.
Any IRC operator found abusing this authority may be disciplined; up to and including removal of O:line.
Section 7: Amending the Charter
Amendments to this charter can be made by a majority vote of user-com and net-com. Amendments can be proposed by anyone, but must have a sponsor (spokesman) from one of the committees to answer any questions regarding the proposed amendment.
In March 2006, all amendments (from I through to X, inclusive) have been inserted into the main body of the Charter.
