As per Relevance of the word community, we have this rfc below:
Network Working Group B.
Request for Comments: 1746
Category: Informational D.
Houston
December 1994
Ways to Define User
Status of this
This memo provides information for the Internet community. This
does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution
this memo is unlimited
This paper covers basic fundamentals that must be understood when
defines, interprets, or implements methods to control
expectations on or over the Internet
1.
User agreements are a form of acceptable use policy (AUP) are
implicit part of internetworking since they place parameters on
expectation. They define the desired and expected behaviour of
who participate. Everyone has one, whether published or not.
applies to networks that provide transit paths for other networks
well as end sites and the individual users that use systems.
better understanding of an AUP, and how to formulate one seems to
increasingly important as the global net encompases new
as varied as K12 schools and real-time systems. AUP's are used
determine pricing, customer base, type and quality of
metrics, and a host of other provider services
2. Components of an
In defining your particular agreement there are three areas that
be addressed. They are where you get service from, who your
are, and whom you provide service to. A good understanding of
concepts will make or break the policies you formulate
2.1 Where you get service
Each entity gets its service from one or more other providers
either a level three service, such as IP transit, or a level
service, such as circuits. The provider of such services usually
an policy in the form of an agreement or contract specifying
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RFC 1746 Ways to Define User Expectations December 1994
and conditions of use. This forms the basis for the type of
offerings that you as an entity can provide. If you get service
several providers, all of them need to be considered in
formation of policy
2.2 Who your peers
Are your policies consistent with those offered by your peers?
many cases, the formation of policy will define who your peers are
It is important to clearly identify which areas you intend to
and the community you wish to be a contributing, productive part of
Once this is clear, formulate polices along those lines
2.3 Who you provide service
It is required that you inform those who use your services just
your policies are. Without this information, it will be
impossible for them to distinguish what to expect from your
offering. Without a clear policy it is possible that litigation
ensue. It is important to reflect community standards in the
of policy
3. Some Issues to
IP provided services can be complex. They comprise both
and communication. In the formulation of policy it is critical
the policy provide for security and access to information
communication while ensuring that the resource use does
overburden the system's capabilities. These conflicting demands
be analyzed and a synthesis arrived at. This hints a
component of an AUP, that it has a method to extract compliance
This is so site specific that further analysis will not be
here
Some items that should be considered in the formation of policy are
- privacy - morals &
- freedom of expression - legal
- safety -
- plagiarism - resource
- indemnification - targeted areas of
- expected behaviours - remedies and
This should not be considered as an exhaustive list but as
for those types of things to be considered when policy is formed
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RFC 1746 Ways to Define User Expectations December 1994
4. Security
Security and Liability issues are not discussed in this memo
5.
User Agreements are here to stay. As the Interconnected mesh
networks grows, the choices presented to end-users mandate
provider/user expectations are clearly presented. Use of
guidelines will help create a clearer, better defined environment
everyone
Authors'
Bill
USC/Information Sciences
4676 Admiralty
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Phone: 822-1511
EMail: bmanning@isi.
Don
Instructional Media
Houston Independent School
3830
Houston, TX 77027
EMail: dperkins@tenet.
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RFC 1746 Ways to Define User Expectations December 1994
For further reference on some acceptable use policies, see
following materials archived in Armadillo--The Texas Studies Gopher
Name=Acceptable and Unacceptable Use of Net Resources (K12)
Type=1
Host=chico.rice.
Port=1170
Path=1/More/
or
http://chico.rice.edu/
If these resources are not available to you, you may want to
the attached policy and justification that is in use by an
sponsored project on K12 networking. It provides a view on
thinking process and actual Agreement that was worked out for
project
The Internetworked School: A Policy for the Future
Barry J. Fishman and Roy D. Pea School of Education and Social
Northwestern
Note
The CoVis Network Use Policy itself appears as an appendix to
article
The next five years will radically change the ways that
relate to the world around them as global computer networks--long
exclusive domain of higher education and private industry--link up
primary and secondary schools. The Internet, a network made up
many smaller contributing networks, represents a powerful
resource unlike anything that precedes it. Its potential
education grows with the establishment of each new connection
For the first time, schoolchildren have the means for simple,
contact with millions of adults in a forum that masks their
youth and presents them as virtual equals. However, just as the
kid in school has to learn new social codes and rituals to fit in
schools must learn some of the practices and etiquette of
Internet. Of course, the established denizens of the Internet
soon have some adjusting to do as well, with thousands (or millions
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of new kids knocking electronically at their doors. Since
Internet was not designed with children in mind, many
difficult issues must be discussed by both the education and
Internet communities
This article presents a framework for thinking about some of
issues that are essential to making the initial encounter
schools and the Internet successful. It also presents an excerpt of
policy that embodies our approach to resolving those issues
Expanding Access, Expanding
For roughly the past decade, schools increasingly have
in specialized computer networks such as the NGS/TERC Kidsnetwork
the Intercultural Learning Network, and FidoNet, as well as for
profit services such as CompuServe, America Online, and Prodigy.
majority of these projects were conducted on networks,
teachers' or students' messages could not be read by anyone beyond
predetermined audience composed of other students and teachers.
projects made it possible for students and teachers to
with their peers in faraway places and pioneered some
uses of networks for computer-mediated communication
collaborative project work that will carry over to the Internet
Internetworking, however, goes beyond proprietary systems by
a vast number of distinct networks into one large network,
Internet. As individual schools and bulletin boards are connected
the Internet, the number of people and services within easy
increases exponentially. By one estimate, there are currently 19
million users of the Internet, with an annual growth rate
80 percent. Furthermore, some of the Internet's most
communication tools are specifically designed so that any of
millions of people could join any conversation. The network's
power comes from the synergy of many dispersed minds working
to solve problems and discuss issues, and there is little in the
of hierarchy or control of the discourse
The schools' shift to internetworking systems involves
technological, as well as pedagogical, issues. It requires a
in the school computing paradigm from centralized computing
distributed client-server systems, thus bringing about
administrative change in the nature of school computing. Many
that currently have some kind of network access provide accounts
to teachers or administrators. Internetworking is
different--giving accounts, access, and therefore control directly
students
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There are numerous arguments for the pedagogical benefits of
internetworking. But what of the risks? What safety, liability, and
above all, educational concerns must be addressed before schools
ready to tap into the Internet? This policy is not intended as
document that sets limitations or restrictions. Rather, it
designed to facilitate and set guidelines for exploring and using
Internet as a tool for learning. The policy was written with
purpose and goals of the Internet as a background: support for
research and education in and among research and
institutions. The context for the policy was provided by the
needs of a growing community of learners composed of students
teachers, scientists, and researchers. The networked environment
support collaboration and cooperation. Proper frameworks to
network navigation and information searching must be established.
because networks will continue to be a scarce educational
for the foreseeable future, the policy also provides guidelines
maximizing the educational cost-benefit ratio for teachers
students
Testbed for Change--The CoVis
Our framework for considering internetworking issues is a
currently being conducted at the School of Education and
Policy at Northwestern University. The Learning Through
Visualization Project, CoVis, is designed to reconceptualize
reconfigure high school science education. CoVis is a
testbed funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Its goal
to enable project-based approaches to science by using low-
medium-bandwidth networks to put students in direct contact
practicing scientists and scientific tools. In CoVis, we are
with the types of network connections we believe will be common
schools in the near future
In the first phase of our project we are working with two Chicago
area schools, Evanston Township High School in Evanston and New
High School in Winnetka. CoVis is deployed in 12 classes at the
high schools, involving three teachers at each school.
300 students are involved in the project: 100 freshmen, 100
sophomores and juniors, and 100 seniors, all enrolled in either
science or environmental science classes. Each classroom contains
Macintosh Quadra computers with audio/video conferencing units
to an internal ethernet, which is linked to Northwestern's
by a primary-rate Integrated Services Digital Network bridge
telecommunications using the public-switched network.
computers are available for Internet use in computer labs at
school
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The CoVis Network Community consists of students and teachers
CoVis classes, scientists who wish to collaborate on CoVis
projects, the researchers conducting the CoVis project, and
interested parties who are granted special accounts. In the
classroom, each student is given an account that makes him or her
"full" member of the Internet community. This means two things:
student has access to all Internet services with minimal mediation
teachers or other adults, and anybody with an Internet account
contact the students directly, again without mediation
In addition to the standard Internet resources, which
electronic mail, listservs, Usenet news discussion groups, Telnet
gopher, and file transfer, CoVis makes it possible for students
communicate with peers and scientists via video and audio
tools and remote screen-sharing technology for
collaborative work. Therefore, the CoVis Network Use Policy
beyond the needs of the typical low-bandwidth internetworked school
As an NSF testbed, CoVis has the job of developing new frameworks
the use of internetworking. In seeking to understand
issues of networking, we turn both to other projects--Bolt
and Newman's work with the Ralph Bunche computer-minischool in
York; AT&T's Learning Circles; and TERC's LabNet project--and
analogous situations extant in schools. Our attention thus is
on the development of a policy to establish ground rules for
students who will be introduced to the Internet
The Need for a Proactive
Exciting or revolutionary educational programs too often
derailed. In the 1970s, Jerome Bruner's curriculum Man: A Course
Study (MACOS) was at the center of a political and
firestorm that prevented its implementation in many schools.
experience of the MACOS developers taught us that it makes sense
spend time in the initial stages of a project trying to
what challenges might arise to an educational innovation in order
avoid, preempt, or co-opt them
In March 1993, the Communications Policy Forum, a nonpartisan
of telecommunications stakeholders convened by the
Frontier Foundation, met on the issues of Internet services for
K-12 educational community. The forum concluded that services
be provided only to schools that would indemnify the
providers. It also recommended that a warning statement be
to advise schools of the presence of materials on the Internet
may be deemed inappropriate for minors
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We believe that it is not enough to devise a policy designed
protect schools and service providers, although our policy
speaks to those roles. In this policy designed to guide
through some of the social complexity presented by the Internet,
created guidelines to alert novice users of established
and practices. Because the Internet is somewhat anarchic in its
commerce, it is necessary to define a safe local space, or identity
for a school network where students can feel like members of
supportive community. The goal of establishing the boundaries of
own community forms the framework of our policy
Issues and
The kinds of issues posed by internetworking are not new.
issues have been debated by schools many times before, from
science to dress codes. These concerns resurface in the
of networked material that some parents, teachers, or students
find objectionable, pornographic, or otherwise inappropriate
Although the actual percentage of materials in this category
small, their mere presence draws plenty of media attention.
this lead-in to a story about graphic material that can be
through the Internet, published in the Houston Chronicle in 1990:
"Westbury High School student Jeff Noxon's homework was
interrupted recently when he stumbled across the world's
sophisticated pornography ring....It was supported by taxes
brought into town by the brightest lights of higher education."
While some are shocked, an alternative interpretation might point
that in using a valuable resource provided by the local university,
high school student chose to view material that many (
regular Internet users) find objectionable. Educators must
that, as a byproduct of introducing internetworking, schools
will have to justify student use of network resources to a
that does not understand the medium or its utility to education.
seeking out analogous situations and applying them to the
of our network use policy, we believe it is possible to
frameworks for responding to these challenges. We found
significant analogies
* American Library Association (ALA). In considering
access issues, the most striking and informative analogy is to
remarkable set of documents built around the ALA's Library Bill
Rights of 1980. It is not farfetched to consider the Internet,
least in part, as a vast digital library. After all, the
database and information search tools it employs are rapidly
part of new school media centers, and many public and
libraries are beginning to offer some type of network access to
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patrons
The ALA documents state, "Attempts to restrict access to
materials violate the basic tenets of the Library Bill of Rights."
However, they add, what goes into the library collection should
chosen thoughtfully and with an eye toward instructional goals
School librarians are bound to devise collections that "
consistent with the philosophy, goals, and objectives of the
district," and they must "resist efforts by individuals to
what is appropriate for all students or teachers to read, view,
hear." Similarly, tools used to access the network must be
to direct access to materials that support curricular concerns. Thus
the interface to the network embodies the notion of a
collection. In a school network policy, the "intent of
collection" should be clearly reflected in a statement of purpose
the network
Directly addressing the information access needs of children, the
opposes attempts to limit access based on the age of a library user
"Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents--
only parents--have the right and the responsibility to restrict
access of their children--and only their children--to
resources," it states
While we in the CoVis Project have some ability technologically
restrict what is in our Internet "collection," it is
impossible to prevent students from accessing materials
presence we never anticipated while preserving the students'
as full members of the Internet community. In this way, the
is fundamentally different from a relatively static
collection. Following the lead of the ALA, however, we believe
the precise limits placed upon students' access cannot be
by the school policy. Instead, it is the students' responsibility
adhere to the standards set by their parents
* American Society for Information Science (ASIS). The code of
of ASIS provides another informative analogy, this one speaking
issues of professionals' responsibilities to both individuals
society. Where individuals are concerned, information professionals
-a designation we believe should be applied to teachers--must
both to "protect each information user's and provider's right
privacy and confidentiality" and "respect an information provider'
proprietary rights." With respect to society,
professionals should "serve the legitimate information needs of
large and complex society while at the same time being mindful
[the] individual's rights." They also should "resist efforts
censor publications."
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The ASIS code speaks directly to issues of electronic mail privacy
We believe that students and teachers must feel certain that
communications are private. In many electronic mail systems
used in schools, the teacher must act as an intermediary between
school and the outside world. When students are "full" members of
Internet, mail is sent directly to the outside world with no
mediation. As a rule, such communications should be private, and
network policy must make explicit any reasons for teachers
researchers to have access to message content. Users must be
aware of times and circumstances under which private mail may
monitored
* Prodigy. Privacy in electronic mail communications seems like
straightforward issue--it is analogous to the U.S. mail. But
about network bulletin boards or Internet newsgroups? Posting
message in one of these public information exchanges may
questions of freedom of expression among students and other
users, but no more than in any other public forum
One approach to dealing with this issue was described in the
Street Journal's technology supplement of November 15, 1993. Prodigy
a dial-up bulletin-board service jointly owned by IBM and Sears,
a strict editorial policy for both its public forums and its members
private email exchanges. Prodigy employs editors who screen
message before it is posted, sometimes delaying posting by up to 40
hours. It also uses special software to screen messages for what
deems objectionable language. The result is a lowest-common
denominator approach to what is acceptable or unacceptable material
This approach undervalues the maturity of Prodigy's users. In
CoVis classroom, we want to strive to develop students' maturity,
in order to learn these lessons, they must feel that their
content is under their own control. To let students know what
of behavior is expected of them, we are very clear about the use
offensive, obscene, or inflammatory language on the network.
guidelines are not unfamiliar to the students in CoVis, as
local school codes of conduct include the same admonitions.
messages posted by students are not ejected from the network
However, students can lose their privileges on the network if
post such messages (a significant disincentive for CoVis students),
and they are encouraged to post a retraction or apology once
understand why their message was problematic. These interventions
only initiated upon the complaint of another user, not as part of
explicit editorial policy
* School Conduct Codes. Every school has a code of conduct for
students that details appropriate school behavior, outlines rights
and sets expectations for students. Because the CoVis Network is
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as part of a school activity, the school's code of conduct applies
network activities. Thus, we believe the network use policy should
an extension of the school's policies. An important part of
development of the CoVis Network use policy was a close reading
the participating high schools' codes of conduct. For example, at
of our high schools, special rules against vandalism of
equipment and unauthorized access to information exist. These
cover such important concepts as computer piracy, hacking, and
tampering with hardware or software. Both CoVis schools have
warning students that use of harassing or abusive language
unacceptable, as is obscenity. At the same time, both high
place a high value on students' right to freedom of expression
outline the dimensions of that right in some detail
* Field Trips. All of the rules that apply to student conduct
school also apply when the students are off campus on field trips
The Internet offers many opportunities for virtual field trips
distant locations, and CoVis adds a new twist to this genre with
addition of full audio and video connections to remote locations
Students in the CoVis community will be able to "visit"
Exploratorium in San Francisco, directing a remote camera around
exhibit floor and engaging in conversations with guides and
museum visitors. It is important that students realize they act
ambassadors for their school in such encounters, and our
states this explicitly. Currently, parental permission slips
required before students may take field trips. At one of
participating high schools, such slips are required even for "trips
within the school building. Is there a precedent for extending
concept of permission slips to the virtual field trip? We do
believe so, but we do recognize the importance of written
alerting parents to interesting or innovative school activities
Beyond the
Barriers to internetworking in schools are being lowered every day
and soon electronic bulletin boards may be as familiar to
American classroom as blackboards. Educators are encouraged
continuing developments that make the Internet accessible to schools
This is accomplished in part through commercial networks such
America Online and Delphi and by the decreasing costs of modems
communications software. With the cooperation of nearby universities
dial-up Internet connections can now be obtained for an investment
under $100 per existing computer
Schools will find tremendous new opportunities for enhancing
extending, and rethinking the learning process with the advent
internetworking. But will they be ready to face the challenges?
date, schools have had little experience with
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telecommunications technologies. Many classrooms still lack even
basic tools as telephones. Given the general lack of
even between classrooms in the same school, it will not be easy
schools to join in the fast-paced discourse of the Internet.
CoVis Project has taken a proactive stance toward the issues
internetworking raises for schools with the development of
network-use policy based upon the best lessons available. We
feedback on our policy and offer it as a contribution to
exciting and rapidly developing area of educational technology
Barry J. Fishman is a Ph.D. student in the Learning Sciences
of the Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy
Roy D. Pea is Dean of the School and John Evans Professor of
Learning Sciences at Northwestern. They acknowledge the assistance
Laura D'Amico, Larry Friedman, Paul Reese, and Dick Ruopp in
preparation of this article. Their research is supported in part
National Science Foundation Grant MDR-9253462.
Margin Notes: Electronic versions of the original texts of
Library Association, American Society for Information Science,
Houston Chronicle documents can be found at FTP (file
protocol) address ftp.eff.org, in the pub/academic/library/directory
The Communications Policy Forum meeting is reported on by Andrew
in the EFFector 5(4), also available from ftp.eff.org in
/pub/EFF/newsletters directory. Statistics about the Internet
available from ftp.nisc.sri.com, in the /pub/zone directory. Both
these FTP sites can also be reached via gopher
For further reading
Roy Pea, "Distributed Multimedia Learning Environments:
Collaborative Visualization Project," Communications of the ACM (
1993).
Denis Newman, Susan Bernstein, and Paul A. Reese, "
Infrastructures for School Networking: Current Models and Prospects,"
Bolt Beranek and Newman Tech Report No. 7726 (1992).
Richard Ruopp, Shahaf Gal, Brian Drayton, and Meghan Pfister, LabNet
Toward a Community of Practice (Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1993).
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APPENDIX: THE COVIS NETWORK USE
A. Mission
The Learning Through Collaborative Visualization Project (CoVis)
established to explore project-enhanced science learning supported
advanced computing applications in a secondary school environment
As such, the computer network environment supported by the
(the CoVis Network) is designed to enhance the learning and
activities of the participating science classrooms at New Trier
Evanston Township High Schools. The term "network" in this
refers to a number of computers and other electronic tools that
connected to each other for the purpose of communication and
sharing. CoVis is a National Science Foundation (NSF)
research project, and use of the network is therefore provided
allow the study of its impact on learning and teaching
1. Purpose of the
The Internet (a global network made up of many
contributing networks) and its services are intended to
open research and education in and among US research
instructional institutions, plus research arms of for-profit
when engaged in open scholarly communication and research.
for other purposes, e.g., for-profit activity or
personal business, is not acceptable
2. Purpose of the CoVis
The purpose of the CoVis Network is to facilitate
and collaboration between members of the CoVis community.
use is primarily intended for the support of project
conducted for participating CoVis classes, and far
significantly for other purposes that students and
determine to be of educational value. The CoVis Network
limited resources, and CoVis classrooms have limited
available for network- supported teaching and learning activities
Any use of the network which adversely affects its operation
pursuit of teaching and learning or jeopardizes its use
performance for other community members is prohibited, and
result in the loss of network privileges
B. Services Available on the CoVis
The CoVis Network consists of a variety of computing equipment
software, and network connections. This section describes
primary tools and services approved for use in the CoVis Network
Other tools may be used, but may not be supported by the
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administrators
1. Cruiser Videoconferencing. Cruiser is a tool designed
allow video and audio connections between two people, each of
must have a Cruiser station and access to the CoVis network
Cruiser conversations are private
2. Timbuktu Screen-Sharing. Timbuktu is a commercial
product that allows a Macintosh user to view or control
Macintosh computer remotely (with the remote user's permission).
This is designed to allow two or more people to work together
the CoVis Network. Timbuktu sessions are private
3. Collaborative Notebook. The Notebook is a personal or
workspace designed to support project work in CoVis classrooms
Work done using the notebook may be either private or public,
designated by the user. Users should be careful to note
they are working in a private or a public portion of the notebook
4. General-Use Internet Tools. These include, but are
limited to, the following
a) Electronic Mail, or email. Email is just like regular mail
except instead of paper, you use the computer.
correspondence is considered private. The CoVis Project uses
program called "Eudora" for sending and receiving mail
b) Listservs. A listserv is a means to broadcast an
message to many users for the purpose of maintaining
discussion list. Although listserv messages are
via email, correspondence is public, so extra care should
used when participating. The program called "Eudora" would
used for participating in a listserv
c) Network News. Netnews is a communications tool for
group discussion. Netnews is essentially similar to
listserv, except that it does not use email as the means
communication. Instead, you use software called a "
reader" to read and post messages to the appropriate groups
Newsgroups are very public, and should be used thoughtfully
The CoVis project employs a program called "NewsWatcher"
reading and posting news
d) File Transfer Protocol, or FTP. File Transfer Protocol is
means of moving files between computers on the Internet.
CoVis project employs a program called "Fetch" for doing this
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e) Telnet. Telnet allows you to connect to other computers
the Internet, provided you know the machine's Internet
and appropriate password. All provisions of this
apply to members of the CoVis community while using
computers via Telnet. The CoVis Project uses a program
"NCSA Telnet" for telnetting operations
f) Gopher. Gopher is a means of navigating the Internet via
menu-driven or point-and-click interface to the computer
Gopher is a very convenient way to retrieve files
information from sources all around the globe. For
purposes, it may be considered an easier form of FTP and can
used to initiate Telnet sessions. The CoVis Project uses
program called "TurboGopher" for gopher searching
C. Who is a member of the CoVis community
All account holders on the CoVis Network will be granted access
all services the network offers. The following people may
accounts on the CoVis Network
1. Students. Students who are currently enrolled in a
class will automatically be granted a network account
agreement to the terms stated in this policy
2. Teachers. Teachers of CoVis classes may hold accounts on
CoVis Network. Other teachers may apply for accounts
3. Scientists. Scientists who wish to collaborate on
projects will be granted CoVis Network accounts. The exact
of the account (i.e., which services are available) will depend
individual circumstances
4. Researchers. The researchers conducting the CoVis
will hold accounts on the CoVis network
5. Others. Anyone may request a special account on the
network. These requests will be granted on a case-by-case basis
depending on need and resource availability
Note: Except in special cases listed above, people from the
Internet community are not part of the local CoVis community,
will probably be unaware of the existence of this policy
However, you should always treat people you "meet" on the
with respect, as if they were a part of your community
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D. Privileges and Rights of CoVis Network Community
Members of the CoVis community have certain network privileges
rights. These include
1. Privacy. All members of the CoVis community have the right
privacy in their email, Cruiser, Timbuktu, and
communications when so designated by the user. However, if a
is believed to be in violation of the guidelines stated in
policy, a system administrator or teacher may need to gain
to private correspondence or files. An attempt will be made
notify the user of such inspections whenever possible. As
is primarily a research project, researchers may periodically
requests to study or view correspondence and files,
confidentiality is ensured in such circumstances. Also, it
important that users recognize the fundamental differences
public (e.g., news) and private (e.g., email) forms
communication, and shape their content accordingly
2. Equal Access. All members of the CoVis community will
granted free and equal access to as many network services as
technology allows. Exploration of the Internet is
relative to the purposes of the CoVis Network
3. Safety. To the greatest extent possible, members of the
community will be protected from harassment or unwanted
unsolicited contact. Any community member who
threatening or unwelcome communications should bring them to
attention of a system administrator or teacher. Users must
however, be aware that there are many services available on
Internet that could potentially be offensive to certain groups
users. The designers of the CoVis Network cannot eliminate
to all such services, nor could they even begin to identify them
Thus individual users must take responsibility for their
actions in navigating the network
4. Intellectual Freedom. The CoVis Network must be a free
open forum for expression, including viewpoints that are strange
unorthodox, or unpopular. The network administrators will
no official sanctions upon the expression of personal opinion
the network. However, the poster of an opinion should be
that other community members may be openly critical of
opinions. Occasionally, a message that you post may be met
outside the CoVis community with especially harsh criticism (
practice known as "flaming"). It is best not to respond to
attacks, unless you believe you are capable of a measured
rational reply. Personal attacks are not an acceptable use of
CoVis Network at any time. The CoVis Project does not
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endorse any opinions stated on the network. Any statement
personal belief is implicitly understood to be representative
the author's individual point of view, and not that of the
Network, its administrators, or the participating high schools
E. Responsibilities of CoVis Network Community
With the rights and privileges of membership in the CoVis
community come certain responsibilities. Users need to
themselves with these responsibilities. Failure to follow them
result in the loss of network privileges. These
include
1. Using appropriate language. Profanity or obscenity will
be tolerated on the CoVis Network. All community members
use language appropriate for school situations as indicated
school codes of conduct
2. Avoiding offensive or inflammatory speech. Community
must respect the rights of others both in the local community
in the Internet at large. Personal attacks are an
use of the network. If you are the victim of a "flame," take
to respond rationally, and bring the incident to the attention
a teacher or system administrator
3. Adhering to the rules of copyright. CoVis community
must respect all copyright issues regarding software, information
and attributions of authorship. The unauthorized copying
transfer of copyrighted materials may result in the loss
network privileges
4. Re-posting personal communications without the
author's prior consent is prohibited. To do this is a
of the author's privacy. However, all messages posted in a
forum such as newsgroups or listservs may be copied in
communications, so long as proper attribution is given
5. Use of the network for any illegal activities is prohibited
Illegal activities include tampering with computer hardware
software, unauthorized entry into computers, or
vandalism or destruction of computer files. Such activity
considered a crime under state and federal law
6. Avoid the knowing or inadvertent spread of computer viruses
"Computer viruses" are programs that have been developed
pranks, and can destroy valuable programs and data. To reduce
risk of spreading a computer virus, do not import files
unknown or disreputable sources. If you do obtain software
Manning & Perkins [Page 17]
RFC 1746 Ways to Define User Expectations December 1994
files from remote sources, follow proper procedures to check
viruses before use. Deliberate attempts to degrade or
system performance of the CoVis Network or any other
system or network on the Internet by spreading computer viruses
considered criminal activity under state and federal law
7. You have full responsibility for the use of your account.
violations of this policy that can be traced to an
account name will be treated as the sole responsibility of
owner of that account. Under no conditions should you give
password to another user
8. Impersonation is not permitted. Real names must be used
pseudonyms are not allowed
9. Anonymity is not allowed on the CoVis Network. As
educational network, we believe that individuals must
responsibility for their actions and words
10. Exemplary behavior is expected on 'virtual' field trips.
'visiting' locations on the Internet or using the Cruiser
Timbuktu communication tools, CoVis community members must
themselves as representatives of both their respective schools
the CoVis community as a whole. Conduct that is in conflict
the responsibilities outlined in this document will be subject
loss of network privileges
Note
This article is reprinted with the express permission of TECHNOS
Quarterly for Education and Technology
It originally appeared as: Fishman, B., and Pea, R.D. (1994).
internetworked school: A policy for the future. Technos: Quarterly
Education and Technology 3 (1), 22-26.
Manning & Perkins [Page 18]
if you see any problems within the linking, don't worry be happy,
this is version 0.1 of the Relevance System and you gotta expect some crappy subroutines sometimes,
just be content we did not write this in Java, which would have made this "bigger and better" HAHAHHA.
RFC documents can be found at I.E.T.F.
Relevance System Copyright © 2002 Spectrum WorldResearch
other technical nosh by ServerMasters Corporation
collaboration of BobX
