Proposal for updating NCF's policies
====================================

We are coming up on our sixth year of operations and some of our polices
have never been modified. It is time to update them all and bring them
inline with our current practices.

I propose that we handle things in the following manner:

1) Make a motion to adopt "Available Services Policy" and rescind the
   following polices: "Internet Access", "Mailing lists", "Singles SIG"

2) Designate the following polices operational in nature:
   Account Use, Censorship, Privacy, Use of NCF by Prospective Members,
   FTP and binary file transfers, MUD's, IRC (Chat), Disk usage, Mail storage
   space, File restores from backup tapes.

* Note: operational polices may be updated by staff at any time without
requiring board action.

3) Move the following policies into our board historical documents area
   (to be created): Strategy for 1996, Board priorities for 1994-95

4) Move the Public relations policies to the Public Relations Team menu area.

5) Work on revising or finish revising the following polices before the
   1998 AGM: NCF Member Agreement, Acceptable Use Policy, Acceptable Use
   Guidelines, Executive Committee Authority.

6) Begin transferring this menu area into a web page.     


List of all NCF board area policies:
====================================

Main menu
     NCF Mission Statement		fine
     NCF Values				fine
     NCF By-Laws			previously discussed
Membership area
     NCF Member Agreement		pending
     Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)	pending
     Acceptable Use Guidelines		pending
     Account Use			operational
     Censorship				operational
     Privacy				operational
     Use of NCF by Prospective Members	operational
     Accessibility for disabled members	fine
Organization area                                       
     Executive Committee Authority	to be revised
     Presence at Meetings		fine
     Strategy for 1996			to be moved to archive
     Public relations policies		to be move to PRT area
     Board priorities for 1994-95	to be moved to archive
Resource sharing area
     Peak Period time limits...		fine
     Internet access			to be rescinded
     FTP and binary file transfers	operational
     MUD's				operational
     IRC (Chat)				operational
     Disk usage				operational
     Mail storage space			operational
     File restores from backup tapes	operational
     Mailing lists 			to be rescinded
     Singles SIG			to be rescinded





   1998-10-07
   
                         NCF Available Services Policy
                                       
   NCF was conceived as a *non-profit community computing resource* [1],
   not as a free on-ramp to the Internet. Since we are dependent on member
   donations and sponsorships, we have a limited supply of resources. To
   keep cost down, and in keeping with our intent to provide balanced
   services to the community, NCF does not permit unrestricted access to
   Internet services.
   
   As a local public utility, the *primary goal* [2] of NCF is to connect
   local people to local information. While some offered utilities, such as
   e-mail or WWW access, extend beyond the local mandate, we see limited
   access to the Internet as part of a *basic package of services* [3] that
   stresses enhancing the local online community. Where resources permit,
   other services will be provided.
   
   FreeNet does not intend to compete with local BBS's or commercial
   Internet Service Providers. People wishing to have access to
   additional resources or services may contact any of a growing number
   of *local commercial Internet Service Providers* [4].
   
  Operational Policies concerning specific services:
  
     MUD's
     IRC (Chat)
     Disk usage
     Mail storage space
     File restores from backup tapes

[1] www.ncf.carleton.ca/ip/freenet/about.en
[2] www.ncf.carleton.ca/ip/freenet/facts/mission
[3] www.ncf.carleton.ca/freeport/freenet/subs/public-relations/services/services.menu
[4] www.monitor.ca/monitor/ispexpress.html