The Rules of the Internet

        By Dr. Philip Baczewski, Assistant Director of Academic Computing (baczewski@unt.edu) This is an edited version of a Network Connection article that appeared in the June 1992 issue of Benchmarks (Vol. 13, No. 5, pg. 12).

        Many of us have come to rely on Wide Area Networks to support various aspects of our scholarship. The use of BITNET and NSFNET, i.e. the Internet, are now taken for granted by many at colleges and universities. Periodically, however, it is helpful to review the usage guidelines of these networks so that these resources that we take so for granted are not intentionally or unintentionally subjected to abuses of the privilege of access. At UNT it is also University policy that those accessing Wide Area Networks shall abide by the policies of those networks.(University Of North Texas Policy Manual, Classification 3.6, Section 4.8.d.) It is very important, then, that if you use the Internet, you read and maintain a handy copy of their policies.

        We last published the CREN usage guidelines in the June 1992 issue of Benchmarks. They are repeated below to familiarize you with them or refresh your memory of them. Also included below are the NSFNET usage guidelines. Although UNT is no longer a member of CREN, we still access BITNET sites on the Internet. Similarly, although NSFNET may be officially dead (see article on page 15), it s guidelines are still considered to be good rules of the road for the Information Superhighway.

        Corporation for Research and Educational Networking Acceptable Use Policy

        The following is available from LISTSERV@BITNIC as the file CREN NET_USE. This file is maintained by the CREN Information Center and was last updated October 3, 1990. For more information contact the Corporation for Research and Educational Networking, Suite 600, 1112 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 872-4200.

        CREN networks are for the use of persons legitimately affiliated with CREN Member or Affiliate organizations, to facilitate the exchange of information consistent with the academic, educational and research purposes of its members. All individuals affiliated with CREN Member or Affiliate organizations are responsible for seeing that their communities are aware of these guidelines, and that the guidelines are followed, both in letter and in spirit.

        CREN networks are, at the discretion of the institutions involved, open to use by students enrolled at participating CREN Member or Affiliate educational institutions. Use of CREN networks shall:

        • Be consistent with the purposes and goals of the networks.
        • Avoid interfering with the work of other users of the networks.
        • Avoid disrupting the network host systems (nodes).
        • Avoid disrupting network services.

        Acceptable Use of the Networks

        The following examples may help users of the networks apply these principles in particular cases.

        • Messages that are likely to result in the loss of recipients work or systems are prohibited.
        • CREN networks are not to be used for commercial purposes, such as marketing, reselling bandwidth, or business transactions between commercial organizations.
        • Advertising is forbidden. Discussion of a product s relative advantages and disadvantages by users of the product is encouraged. Vendors may respond to questions about their products as long as the responses are not in the nature of advertising.
        • CREN networks may be used for the provision of services which support the needs and purposes of the CREN networks, and for which a charge is made, if the network is an optional mechanism for provision of this service for which no additional charge is made, and as long as the use of the service is consistent with the bandwidth of the network and the forwarding hosts. Providers of such information may be non-profit or for-profit organizations.
        • Any communication which violates applicable laws and regulations is not allowed. In particular, messages and data sent to destinations outside the U.S. must satisfy the Department of Commerce regulations (either be within the GTDA guidelines for information which may be generally transmitted or have the required license).

        Users of CREN networks are expected to be responsible in their use:

        • Chain letters, broadcasting messages to lists or individuals,and other types of use which would cause congestion of the networks or otherwise interfere with the work of others are not allowed.
        • BITNET files will be limited to sizes determined and reviewed periodically. (Note: The current limit is 300,000 bytes per file transmitted.)

        CREN Members or Affiliates are expected to take reasonable measures (given the constraints of technology and management) to ensure that traffic using gateways between CREN networks and other networks conforms to these guidelines.

        Final authority for CREN acceptable use policies lies with the CREN Board. It is the responsibility of member representatives to contact the CREN Board, in writing, regarding questions of interpretation. Until such issues are resolved, questionable use should be considered not acceptable.

        The NSFNET Backbone Services Acceptable Use Policy3

        This NSFNET Acceptable Use Policy is also available via anonymous ftp to nis.nsf.net. Retrieve the file nsfnet.txt in the directory acceptable.use policies.

        GENERAL PRINCIPLE:

        1. NSFNET Backbone services are provided to support open research and education in and among U.S. research and instructional institutions, plus research arms of for-profit firms when engaged in open scholarly communication and research. Use for other purposes is not acceptable.

        SPECIFICALLY ACCEPTABLE USES:

        1. Communication with foreign researchers and educators in connection with research or instruction, as long as any network that the foreignuser employs for such communication provides reciprocal access to U.S. researchers and educators.
        2. Communication and exchange for professional development, to maintain currency, or to debate issues in a field or subfield of knowledge.
        3. Use for disciplinary-society, university-association, government-advisory, or standards activities related to the user s research and instructional activities.
        4. Use in applying for or administering grants or contracts for research or instruction, but not for other fundraising or public relations activities.
        5. Any other administrative communications or activities in direct support of research and instruction.
        6. Announcements of new products or services for use in research or instruction, but no advertising of any kind.
        7. Any traffic originating from a network of another member agency of the Federal Networking Council if the traffic meets the acceptable use policy of that agency.
        8. Communication incidental to otherwise acceptable use, except for illegal or specifically unacceptable use.

        UNACCEPTABLE USES:

        1. Use for for-profit activities (consulting for pay, sales or administration of campus stores, sale of tickets to sports events, and so on) or use by for-profit institutions unless covered by the General Principle or as a specifically acceptable use.
        2. Extensive use for private or personal business.

        This statement applies to use of the NSFNET Backbone only. NSF expects that connecting networks will formulate their own use policies. The NSF Division of Networking and Communications Research and Infrastructure will resolve any questions about this policy or its interpretation.

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