Subj : Monthly Rules Posting To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Sun Jan 01 2023 00:08:38 National Weather Network Echo Rules, revised Dec. 25, 2019 This echo is designed for weather and earth science related information. Usage of this echo constitutes your acceptance of the rules below. 1) Your Moderator is Mike Powell at 1:2320/105, with Co-Moderator Daryl Stout at 1:19/33. 2) The official language for the echo is ENGLISH...even though weather is a worldwide occurrence. 3) Real names are REQUIRED in the echo. If your BBS software does not post real names, you MUST have your real name at the bottom of the messsage. This way, everyone takes responsibility for their postings. 4) Permitted postings include the following: a) Weather Safety Rules, appropriate to the time of year. b) Storm Reports of Damage. c) Skywarn Severe Storm Spotter Training Classes. d) Weather conferences or events. I know there are "storm chasing groups" that offer "trips" during tornado season. The moderators do NOT endorse storm chasing, as it is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, and NOT for amateurs. Unlike the movie "Twister", most times, it is a "Waiting Game"...you will NOT "see a tornado after every meal". And, even very experienced storm chasers have been injured or killed during severe storms...because the storm did something they did not expect!! e) Severe Weather Outlooks and Watches, as Required. This includes Public Severe Weather Outlooks...issued by the Storm Prediction Center for moderate or high severe weather outlooks in the contiguous 48 states during the Day 1 Severe Weather Outlook period. These can be issued for slight risk outlooks during the winter months, with tornadoes forecast to occur overnight, when most people are asleep, and not expecting severe weather. In the portion of the southeast US, known as "Dixie Alley", most of the tornadoes occur after dark, and especially overnight. Note that individual county warnings should NOT be in the echo. However, warnings covering a large area...such as a Hurricane Warning, etc. are allowed. The reason is that local warnings (tornado, severe thunderstorm, or flash flood) can become too numerous...and by the time they made it to the echo, these warnings would long since be expired. Do NOT depend on this echo for weather warnings, or other weather information...a battery operated NOAA Weather Radio (with a warning alarm feature) is your best source for weather information. Along this line, you should unplug any electrical appliances not necessary to receiving weather information during thunderstorms. One lightning strike can destroy everything. Each lightning bolt has at least 3 million volts and 300,000 amps of electricity...is 5 miles long, but only as wide as your finger...50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5 times hotter than the surface of the sun)...and can strike from 20 to 200 miles away from the thunderstorm (a bolt from the blue). No amount of surge protection will protect you from a direct or close lightning hit. f) Weather History Information. I know of only 1 website at this time that has this data: I. The National Climate Data Center at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html g) Weather Related Websites (products and services of reputable suppliers and organizations). These include Davis Weather Instruments, Peet Brothers, etc. These also include weather related websites from the National Weather Service, among others. h) Meterological Discussions And Forecasts. i) Automated weather data postings with moderator approval. j) Other topics related to the content of the echo with moderator approval. Note that Earthquake And Tsunami Reports, as well as Tropical Weather Reports, have been moved to separate echoes; contact Mike Powell for details. 5) Prohibited postings include the following: a) Foul language. Intelligent people don't need to curse to express themselves. Profanity is the attempt of a feeble mind to express itself forcibly. This echo is designed for ALL ages. b) Get rich quick/pyramid schemes, or "spam". c) Messages promoting viruses, pornographic/adult/sexual related material, or other illegal content. d) Flaming of an individual. Take these to email or netmail...or better yet, leave the echo altogether. There are many other topics to discuss. If you can't say something nice about an individual, don't say anything at all. You may not agree with their postings, but the least you can do is show them respect in the echo. We can't control the weather...but we have to adapt to it. There's no point in complaining about the weather, as it doesn't listen. e) Postings of warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flash flooding, as noted above. While weather related, they can become too numerous, and by the time they got to the echo, they would long since have been expired. f) Use CAUTION in posting messages about "storm chasing". Many people have had loved ones injured or killed...or have lost their property in severe weather...and they take a "dim view" of those who seem to "live to see destruction". Again, the moderators do NOT endorse storm chasing, as it is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, and NOT for amateurs. I have been indirectly struck by lightning twice, been under two tornadic funnel clouds, been within a mile of 2 rain wrapped tornadoes, and in swirling floodwaters...so, I personally know what these people are going through every time the weather turns threatening. g) Messages dealing with politics, religion, or test/seed messages. Please take these to the appropriate areas. h) Any message topic not approved by the moderators. i) Messages requesting, or the posting of personal user information (social security numbers, credit card data, etc.). j) Discussions of these rules in the echo. k) Quoting of Origin lines. While quoting of taglines is permitted, please keep the taglines CLEAN. 6) Quote the appropriate amount your message if responding. However, do NOT quote a large amount of the message, followed with a single line of "I Agree". Most Sysops are running their BBS's out of the goodness of their hearts, and are likely paying a large amount of money to keep it online, and pass message area traffic. 7) You may NOT gate this message into other networks WITHOUT moderator permission. If you know of any science or weather related BBS networks, please have the coordinators contact the moderators via netmail...we would be happy to add this echo to those networks. 8) Let the moderators do the moderating...that's why they're here. We would prefer to sit back, and let everyone enjoy the echo. Please don't "test the moderators sense of humor". If you wish to discuss things with the moderators, please do it via netmail. 9) Bear in mind that there may be more than one user on a particular BBS using the echo. If your actions are detrimental to the echo, the BBS you get it from will likely cut your feed, effectively penalizing all the others who do "play by the rules". 10) The first rules violation will be considered an accident. The second violation will be considered questionable. And, any further violations will result in a permanent feed cut to that system. So c onsider this your first, and only warning. Mike Powell, Moderator, 1:2320/105 Daryl Stout, Co-Moderator, 1:19/33 --- * Synchronet * The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105) .