From: jgreco@solaria.mil.wi.us (Joe Greco)
Subject: Re: Big Brother BBS policies
Organization: Solaria Public Access UNIX - Milwaukee, WI
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 19:48:01 GMT

In alt.bbs article <IegHFIW00VBK8=UlBD@andrew.cmu.edu>, ks3l+@andrew.cmu.edu (Kenton Shaver) wrote:
:hermit@cats.UCSC.EDU (William R. Ward) writes:
:> I've noticed that on a lot of BBS's, the sysops tend to go through a
:> lot of effort to identify users.  Things like auto-callback, extremely
:> limited access, requiring real names, etc. all strike me as overly
:> nosy.
:
:I could not agree with you more.
:I've always assumed that this info was sold to mail-order companies,
:but who really gets it?  Why on earth is it needed?  
:
:KWS

It's not sold to mail-order companies, at least never that I have heard of.

When you call a bulletin board system, you are calling another person's
computer.  This is a privately owned machine, operated by a private citizen,
who is welcome to run it in any way that they see fit.  Unfortunately, we do
not live in an ethical society.  People who are allowed to "get a little
wild" often will do so, especially if there is very little chance of being
caught.  Many SysOps do not like the headaches that this can cause, but back
in the old days when there were no wide area networks, this was always a
local problem which could be quickly and easily dealt with.  Delete user,
delete messages.  Illegal information might be posted on the system or in
the file sections, which was a risk that the operator took.

In that case, a SysOp might decide that s/he wanted to identify users, but
it was a choice that the SysOp was free to make.  It was simply an
administrative precaution.  Users have no rights on a private system, and if
they desire access, they either submit to the will of the operator or go
elsewhere.

Now, with the widespread popularity of networks, accountability is more of
an issue.  Messages posted on one machine can outrage many users at other
sites.  Some networks require users to be identified.  Other networks simply
entrust the operators to prevent mishaps - and hold the operators
accountable.  If I were such an operator, I would wish to minimize my risks
by knowing who was on my system.  It is not a lot of information to ask
for, in return for what a user will get from the system.

Solaria sits on the next level up.  Being a Public Access UNIX site, we are
not quite in the same position as a BBS, yet we face many of the same issues
that modern SysOps do.  We are not currently on the Internet, but our
registration process acknowledges the fact that we plan to be.  We
require a signed User Agreement with a set of acceptable use guidelines to
be on file.  Users must be positively identified, either by presenting ID at
a face-to-face meeting, or having the application notarized.  This process
insures that a user who has been removed from the system will have a
difficult time gaining access again, and provides us with basic contact
information if we need it.  People who are willing to go to this kind of
trouble are also more likely to be serious users, and less likely to be
trouble in the first place.  The acceptable use guidelines are not
particularly strict, and are not enforced rigorously, but if and when there
are problems, they give me solid footing on which to deal with users.

I don't have a lot of time to administer the system and "discipline" users
who cause trouble.  Personally, I really like our policy because it protects
me and yet allows serious users access to the system.  This is an
unfortunate state of affairs for the 13 year old kid looking for his
daily zmodem-fix, but I don't have any file areas anyways.  And I don't have
time (or desire) to monitor all outbound news and mail.

I won't jeopardize my Usenet feeds (or eventually the Internet link) by
granting John Doe access to my system unless I feel comfortable that John
Doe will be a responsible user.  It would be unfair to the Usenet community
to do anything else.

But it still boils down to the same old story.  When you log into a private
system, you can either hang up or do as the operator wishes.  We're out to
protect our own necks, make our lives easier, and reduce the risk of getting
sued or having our systems confiscated by overzealous FBI agents.  You can
always run your own board.

... Joe

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Greco - System Administrator		       jgreco@solaria.mil.wi.us
Solaria Public Access UNIX - Milwaukee, WI			   414/321-9287