     Rules for using the Internet<->Fidonet Gateway at 1:1/31
     ========================================================
 
   *****************************************************************
   * All gateway mail is subject to inspection by the postmaster.  *
   * There is no such thing as completely private mail.  The       *
   * postmaster will never reveal the contents of a message to any *
   * third party unless forced to by legal authorities or to file  *
   * a network or legal complaint involving rules violations.      *
   * Anyone violating the rules of this gateway, FidoNet, or       *
   * Internet, will be cut off without notice and may be subject   *
   * to an official policy complaint.  No data files or encrypted  *
   * messages may be sent through this gateway without prior       *
   * permission.                                                   *
   *****************************************************************


The Internet can not be used for profit. Mail sent via this system
gets routed via the NSFnet and cannot contain advertisements, sales
literature, or other profit-making "things" unless in a direct reply
to a query from an Internet site.
FidoNet and this gateway also have restrictions on commercial
messages.  Do NOT send commercial messages via this gateway.

You may not send any copyrighted material through the gateway.

Any hint of an illegal activity in any message may result in one
or more of the following:
    1.  Immediate termination of gateway access.
    2.  Official complaint to the proper network authorities.
    3.  A report to the proper legal authorities.

There are no charges for using the gateway and Fidonet systems may
*NOT* charge others for doing so (except for out of pocket phone
costs).  Any system that charges users for access to that system may
*NOT* charge users for Gateway access.

All Fidonet Sysops are *REQUIRED* to make sure that their users read
these rules prior to using the Gateway.  Sysops may be held responsible
for rules violations by their users and Points.


The gateway exists to provide a communications link between people
that would otherwise be unable to communicate.  It is NOT here as a
way to avoid spending FidoNet NetMail charges.  Outgoing messages
with a destination address within Fidonet will be REJECTED and bounced
by the gateway software.  (ie:  Any traffic with a destination address
which ends in  ".z#.fidonet.org" will automatically be BOUNCED by
the gateway.)

If you have mail accounts on both Fidonet and Internet, you are *NOT*
permitted to use the gateway for communication between the two.
Do NOT set up a ".forward" on your Internet account which forwards
to your FidoNet address without arranging with the 'postmaster' for
a DIRECT Pickup at the Gateway (your E-mail will be put on HOLD at
the gateway for you to POLL for on YOUR dime).

Messages can take between 5 minutes and several weeks to be delivered!
(Most mail is "routed" thru the FidoNet Backbone systems via the Zhubs.)
You can not count on how long things will take.  There may be vast
time differences in delivery times between two messages sent to the
same address on 2 consecutive days.

Messages with bad addresses will usually (but not always) be returned
to the sender within a few days.  If you have addressing questions,
please read the FAQ files for the gateway *first* before contacting
the 'postmaster'.  You may obtain the FAQ documents via FidoNet
as follows:

   1)  Simply File-Request the FileName or Magic-Name from 1:1/31
   2)  Send a dummy message to the 'alias' name on 1:1/31 and it
       will be send back thru the gateway to you.

FileName       Magic-Name/Alias   Description
--------       ----------------   -----------
uucphelp.txt   uucphelp           Instructions for using UUCP gateways
                                  to send E-mail from/to FidoNet with
                                  specifics for the gateway at 1:1/31
infogate.txt   infogate           Info on the operation of the gateway
                                  at 1:1/31.
                                  (If you're using it, READ it!)
gateways.lst   gateways           List of sites approved for GUUCP flag
                                  and rules for obtaining that status.


Messages greater than 32kb may not be sent through the gateway without
first getting prior permission from the postmaster.  Messages are SPLIT
automatically by the gateway into 10k chunks.  Anything over 32kb are
simply discarded in their entirety.

Automated Internet mailing lists can generate a lot of messages on a
daily basis.  Heavy traffic of this nature tends to bog down the
gateway.  Many people sign up for lists, read them for a few weeks,
and then don't pay much attention to them after that, but they go on
loading the gateway.

You may not send or receive files or UUENCODED text through the
gateway without prior permission from the Postmaster.


Do NOT use a name which contains a PERIOD in the name, as it will
NOT be translated correctly coming back in and you may not be able
to read it.


Addressing OUTGOING Mail (to the Internet):
------------------------------------------

Messages must be addressed to 1:1/31 and either have the UserName
"Uucp" in the FidoNet-Header with the Internet destination in a
"To: address" line as the very FIRST line of the message;
                                -or-
have the Internet destination as the UserName field, complete
with the '@' sign.

(For more specific details,  see the UUCPHELP document as per above)


INCOMING Mail (from the Internet):
---------------------------------

Much of the incoming E-mail is *ROUTED* thru the FidoNet Backbone
via 1:270/101.  The mail for some systems are put directly on HOLD
at 1:1/31 either at the request of the recipient SysOp, or one of
the backbone routers or at the discretion of the gateway-operator.
In the latter case, NetMail is sent by the gateway operator to
the SysOp informing him/her that they must POLL 1:1/31 to pick up
their Internet mail.

Systems receiving large volumes of E-mail in the form of
mailing-lists, UUencoded files and such *will* be asked to POLL
for their Mail.  The FidoNet backbone will NOT route such large
volumes of mail.

NOTE:  All incoming traffic from the Internet which appears to be
'mailing-list' traffic, or which contains a "Precedence: junk" header,
will NOT be routed but will be packed on *HOLD* at the gateway for
the systems to pickup directly.  All mail at this gateway are ARCmailed
using ARC level-5 compression and ARCmail v.0.60 file-naming conventions.
Incoming UUencoded traffic will also be placed on HOLD at the gateway.

Mail will be HELD for a period of not more than 6 days (depending
on disk space).  You *must* Poll for your Mail at least twice a
week or some mail will be lost.  We just cannot hold mail indefinitely.

If you would *like* for your Internet mail to be put on HOLD at
1:1/31 instead of being routed, SysOps may simply  File-Request
UUHOLD  from 1:1/31.  This will pass your address into a process
that will dynamically re-configure the routing and related files.
You will not receive any confirmation immediately, but will receive
a routed NetMail confirmation from a later process.
Be aware that when you do so, it will also automatically install
an MX-record for your address so that your Internet mail will come
in thru 1:1/31 even though your Net may have mail normally coming
in thru one of the other gateways.

If you are an NC and would like your entire Net's mail held for
you and your mailer is capable of EMSI, just F'req  UNETHOLD instead.
(Mailing-list traffic is NOT packed during this routing cycle.)


                       Frequently Asked Questions
                       ==========================

Q:  I sent a message to 'listserv@somewhere' and the gateway bounced
    it.  Why?


A:  In order to curtail traffic, it is necessary to inhibit folks from
    getting themselves on mailing-lists when their traffic is routed.
    We can only *globally* BLOCK mail from going to such addresses,
    and cannot do it selectively.


Q:  I sent a message to 'user.name@f###.n###.z#.fidonet.org' and it
    was bounced.  This is a valid Internet address.  Why was it bounced?

A:  The gateways were NOT designed to be an alternate route for FidoNet
    to FidoNet traffic.  That address is a FidoNet destination.
    It is against our charter with the InterNIC to route such traffic
    thru the Internet.
    Such traffic should be sent via FidoNet NETMAIL.


Q:  Someone sent me E-mail and it didn't arrive.  He didn't get a
    'bounce' either.

A:  One of several things could be happening.

    1)  The MX-record points your traffic to come in thru a different
    gateway other than 1:1/31.  Traffic comes IN according to the DNS
    tables,  NOT necessarily back in via the same gateway that you might
    have sent a message out.
    The complete Domain-Name-Server table is File-Requestable from
    1:1/31 by REQuesting magic-name  DNS.  Inside, there are comments
    explaining how to read it.  You need to see if there is an entry
    for your Net pointing to another gateway's MX-receiver.
    The MX-receiver for 1:1/31 is 'zeus.ieee.org'.

    2)  It is also possible that the message is circling around thru
    the LPM links of the FidoNet backbone somewhere.  Any mail which is
    routed is routed via 1:270/101 (ProtoStar).  Contact your NC, RC, or
    REC to track down a possibly broken LPM link to your Node.

    3)  Your mail could be on HOLD and you failed to PICKUP your mail
    before it was automatically deleted.


Q:  I know that GIGO can assign a unique name to a system instead of
    the '@f###.n###.z1.fidonet.org'  address.  I'd like my system to
    have a shorter address.  Can you do this for me?

A:  Sorry, folks.  Our configuration is rather unique because of the
    method we use to transfer the mail between the PC and the UNIX-server.
    Besides,  we'd go kinda nuts maintaining the configuration for the
    number of Nodes we serve.  The more we shove into the configuration,
    the longer the gating takes and there's also a memory limitation
    that the software has to deal with too.


Q:  I got onto a mailing-list and I don't know how to UNsubscribe.
    How do I UNsubscribe from the mailing-list?

A:  Mailing-lists vary in how they are handled.  Some have an automated
    procedure for subscribing and unsubscribing.  Usually the initial
    verification when you were subscribed contained the instructions
    for unsubscribing from the mailing-list.  If you do NOT have these
    instructions, there is usually an address which will get to a
    "human" owner who can help you.
    In general,  the mailing-list will be named in the FORMAT of
    'listname@somewhere' or 'listname-l@somewhere'.  The "owner"
    address will usually be either 'listname-request@somewhere' or
    'owner-listname@somewhere' or 'listname-owner@somewhere'.
    You can also look for an "Errors-To:" header in one of the messages
    from the list.  1:1/31 will have this line hidden behind a ^A line
    near the top of the text.  If it has an "Errors-To:" line, this
    is *usually* the address that will reach the "owner" of the list
    who can help you.


                          * * * EOF * * *

