operules

Brief Rules/Guidelines for Undernet Opers
=========================================


The Do's:
==========

    1) Anytime you find your server split from the net, Reconnect
       it to the net using /connect.  connect in the order of
           primary, secondary, tertiary links.

    2) Splits of other servers from the net.
       if a remote server splits from the net, WAIT
       let the local ops there reconnect it if it don't autoconnect.
       Always best to let locals handle their server problems.

    3) Opers are expected to have general knowledge about irc
       If a user asks you a question (in need of basic help)
       You are expected to politely attempt to help.
       (this server does not follow policy of: Opers are only here
        to maintain the network.) You are here to help the users
       This does not mean that if a user ask you to write a script
       for their bot that you need do so.  Simply help with the basics
       (join/part/msg/ignore.....   or direct them to the help files)

    4) Opers are expected to use this server as their primary server.
       if you do not use this server, then there is no need for you to
       be an OP here.  same goes, if you use this server Only because
       you have IRCops here.

    5) ANYTIME you are switching links (or anything that will affect
       the general users, give them warning.
       msg $servername ***NOTICE i am doing this .,......
       let them know a little about is what is going on.  (dont necessarly
       give them the whitehouse briefing, but give them a clue.
       this way they donot think the server is unstable.

DONTS:
=======

        I) Use of /squit
        ================

    1) DO NOT USE /squit to regain chan-ops for an opless channel.
           Refer rules on using Uworld for opping someone on a channel.

    2) The use of /squit to switch links should be VERY carefully
       and Seldomly done. Please use proper judgement here. A good
           rule of thumb is NSWAL - never squit a working link, unless
           it is extremely laggy.

        3) The use of /squit for personal revenge is highly forbidden.

        II) The use of /kill:
        =====================

    1) All kills are expected to be accompainied by a legit reason
       /kill  get a clue         not a legit reason.
       please indicate the reason for your kill to avoid problems.
    2) All Kills are recorded and periodically checked.
    3) Uses for KILL
            since the installation of ban, the need for kill has
            become much less.  It is much better to kick and ban
            a user than /kill
            For the most part the use of /kill is a judgement call
        4) Kills for "flooding, mass-deopping, obscenities..."
       are forbidden.
           * user flooding a channel can be kicked or banned or ignored
           * a user mass-deopping had to get ops from somewhere.
             if he obtained chanops from another op on the channel
             then he had legit ops.  Therefore, the chanop has to learn
             how to hand out chanop responsibly.
           * Kills for "clearing" channels are forbidden. An IRCop is
             not a judge of who gets ops on a channel or who does not.
             if the channel is opless, use Uworld if it is present, or
             else leave the channel as is. It is the responsibility of
             the people who *created* the channel and who had chanops
             to make sure that chanops persist.
           * A user swearing/using obscenities can be /ignore'd. /kill
             is not a solution, and hence prohibited in this case.

        5) Kills for personal revenge are highly forbidden.

    6) Since autoreconnect has become popular, kills tend to be
       quite ineffective.

        7) Kills for ghosts are allowed only after the person is unable
           to use "kill -9" on Unix to get rid of the ghost.

       III) Global messages and /wallops
       =================================

        1) Global messages to the entire *org domain are highly discouraged
           unless there is a serious problem on the net such as flaky routing
           everywhere. As far as possible, please limit the message to a
           domain such as *.us.undernet.org, if reroutes will affect only
           that region.

        2) Wallops are to be used only when discussing server related issues
           or when rerouting. They are NOT a medium for chatting. The reasoning
           behind this is that they are the only unilateral communication
           channel between opers. If they were to be used for chatting,
           opers would choose to *not* receive wallops, thereby eliminating
           their usefulness. A classic example is the EFnet, where jupes for
           hacked servers are squit by unsuspecting opers who aren't aware
           that the server is being juped and therefore assuming that it is
           the hacked server online, squit it. Oper communication in these
           crucial situations is vital.

        IV) All opers are expected to follow rules for usage of Uworld, which
            are mentioned below. Any misdemeanour will be counted as an
            offence.

The motivation
==============

     The motivation to have rules for opers is "An oper should NOT be any
different from an ordinary user as far as possible". The almost sole and
whole job of an oper should be to keep the net, in particular his/her server,
connected to the net. Remember that every time you use your /oper only
commands, it makes the position of an oper and the "*" more desirable,
when IRC should not be considered as a power play. It is only a place
where people can meet and talk peacefully without one person having some
kind of an unfair "power" over the other.

The penalty
===========

    Since no set of rules are going to be effective without some kind of
a restraint, the foll. penalties are suggested, where an offence constitutes
breaking any of the aforementioned rules:

* First offence - the oper will not use his /oper for a week.

* Second offence - the oper will not use his /oper for a month.

* Third and repeated offences - removal of O line. If the oper is the sole
                                admin, this means removal of server as well.


Rules for using uworld
======================

1\. Uworld can be used *only* in the foll. situations:

   (i) A channel has lost channel ops for some reason *and* channel
       users are unhappy about it *and* they are decided upon who's
       to be opped.

    (ii) A channel has been locked and set to +pstmil 1 or such similar
         mechanism (such as +b *!*@*), *and* channel regulars complain
         about it. In this case the channel has to be cleared and nothing
         else. Ops will be decided as usual by the person who joins the
         channel first.

2\. Uworld should NOT be used for any of the following:

   (i) Carrying out personal vendettas with another oper.

   (ii) when there *are* channel ops on the channel already - it will
        *not* be used to get involved in channel politics. For no
        reason will it be used to deny a particular set of individuals
        ops on the channel and grant the same to another set - irrespective
        of who's the "regular" on the channel.

   (iii) it will *not* be used to deop idle bots on a channel, just for
         the reason that someone else can't get ops.