From: russ@math.okstate.edu (R. Nomad)
Subject: Re: Proposal
Organization: Aggie? What precisely is an Aggie?
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 22:02:04 GMT

In <1993Jan8.112844.911@uoft02.utoledo.edu> jsteiner@anwsun.phya.utoledo.edu (jason 'Think!' steiner) writes:

>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----


>1. MUDs should have a policy paper online.
>2. This paper should describe the conditions players on the MUD can 
>   expect, as well as penalties for violating MUD policies.
>3. If a specific "right" is not listed, or no policy is on file, 
>   players should assume they have -no- "rights" until determined 
>   otherwise.

>considering the large number of MUDs out there & the even greater number
>of opinions on the subject, i suspect this is the closest we'll ever get
>to a consensus.

>jason

For your edification, Space Madness's news policy:

***

Space Madness MUSH is, as a legitimate research project as per discussion
with OSU CS faculty, with the following disclaimers and restrictions:

- No statements, claims, or other text found herein are to be construed as
  official statements of Oklahoma State University or any of its employees.

- While all reasonable efforts are made to provide for privacy needs, the
  admins of this MUD can't guarantee privacy of any text transmitted here.

- Use of this service for illegal activity is hereby noted as sufficient
  grounds for expulsion from this service.

- Accounts on Space Madness require registration by email.

- Finally, the administration of this MUD reserves the right to take what
  actions it deems necessary to provide a useful and pleasant environment
  here, although it makes no promises about to what extent it will do so.
  The general rule is: if it offends you, avoid it and/or report it, but
  the administration makes no promises as to whether or not anything will
  be done, as it takes these things on a case by case basis.

All complaints, comments, questions, etc should be addressed to the email
addresses listed in 'news wizards'.  Don't bother mailing the domain
administrator, because he knows about us, and doesn't want to hear it.

***

My comments, point by point:

#1: Standard disclaimer. You know it, you love it.

#2: I feel this is a reasonable thing for me to say.  I simply can't
    guarantee privacy, because anything can come up, including crass
    mistakes on the part of the players.  A reasonable effort is no
    big thing to ask.

#3: Utterly necessary.  Sorry, Charlie.

#4: True.  No arguing possible, really. :)

#5: This is certainly vague, but it really boils down the truth as best I
    can put it.  Rather than try and come up with every way in which I
    will decide on something, I offer to listen, but not necessarily to
    ask.

The last little tidbit is because some rocket scientist mailed the domain
admin.  Nice try, but we're here with more permission than you can imagine.

Anyway, my point is...while I admit that there will very possibly be
things in this policy document that will be worth ripping off for mine,
what's this crap about signing stuff and so forth?  Please.  Just post
a copy on your MUD, okay?  Or post the bits you like.

Everyone wants to lead a revolution, I guess.  (This is not directed at
the author of the post I'm replying to, who just jarred my thoughts.)

I guess I'll save my rant about people trying to promise things they can't
provide (privacy is one.  Ever seen an ethernet sniffer?) for some other
time.

-Random
preparing for the inevitable backlash

-- 
---------------------===Comedy!  Sudden, violent comedy!===--------------------
Russ Smith -- russ@math.okstate.edu  |  "This is the Nineties, Bubba, and
  Don Random of the "Random Gang"    |   there is no such thing as Paranoia.
What a pinhead! Does he not fear us? |   It's all true." -- Hunter S Thompson