What is the AustNet Services Department?

The AustNet Services Department is a group who help manage the services (ChanOP, NickOP and so on) and assist users with services-related problems. They also monitor and correct abuse of these services, in accordance with the AustNet services guidelines. To do these things, they use a bot named ASD.

What is ASD?

ASD is a service provided by AUSTnet for services operators and administrators. Server operators who require special access to AUSTnet's Open Public Access System (OPAS) may use ASD to assist IRC users who require technical support. ASD is also used to restrict abusive users' access to the network and correct crisis situations concerning channel operator-less channels.

What can the Services department do for me?

The Services people are available to help you use a service and show you commands, recover your password if you have lost it and can prove that it is yours, or assist you if you think another user has violated the services guidelines. ASD is not here to undo bans for you, or kick people you don't like, or to provide non-Services related help. Some Services people also look after IRC weddings.

What are the Services policies?

Policies:
* No Mass messaging/advertising/inviting
* No Services flooding (including NickOP/LoveOP floods)
Any or all of the above can and will end in the suspension of your channel. Whether done by the owner or a member of that channel. If your channel is suspended, please contact #ASD to find the Operator that suspended it, so that it may be discussed.

Restrictions:
* Maximum of 4 nicks per user allowed to be registered
* Maximum of 1 channel per nick allowed to be registered
Any violations may and will result in the removal of some and/or all nicks/channels.

How do I find a Services person when I need one?

The most obvious place is their channel, #ASD. If you have a services query just type /join #ASD and ask in the channel. If nobody seems to be awake type /msg asd listadmin for a list of Services people which shows who is online and who is not away. In the unlikely event of absolutely nobody being on, you are welcome to mail [email protected]

All ASD people have a line in their /whois response showing that they are from Services. If somebody appears to be impersonating an ASD person let an IRC Op or ASD admin know.

What is Spam?

Spam is mass-advertising of a channel. It usually falls to ASD to prevent spamming, and the definition of spam that we work from is
a non-op advertising in a channel that doesn't want advertisements, OR a mass message/invitation to people who would not wish to join the channel.

What does this mean?

• A #chatzone op sending a user from #chatzone into #sex would not be spamming
• A #chatzone non-op asking people in #chatzone to come to #melbteens would be spamming, because #chatzone do not allow that
• A person on #chan telling people to join #wicked is allowed because the #chan ops allow advertising (very rare indeed)
• Any person on any channel using the /invite or /msg commands to invite non-friends is spamming

• Being banned from the channel you spammed in by an operator (not by ASD)
• Having your channel suspended if you are the manager or have access 190 or greater
• Having your access removed and being banned from the channel you spammed if you are lower than 190, preferably by the channel owner but if not by ASD.
• Being removed from the network by an IRC operator

How do the 'fun commands work?

There are two sorts of `fun commands, ordinary ones which have the bot bring you coffee or other such things, and the "R-rated" ones, which aren't really suitable for children. Any person with sufficient channel access to use the set command can turn on the normal type (set nochanmsg off and funmsg on), but it takes an ASD person to turn on the other type. If you're a channel manager, over 18 and the channel isn't for teens or children you can join #ASD and ask for R-rated fun to be turned on.

What rules are there for ASD people?

Because of the access they have, Services people are governed by guidelines covering almost every situation they may have to deal with. For everybody's reference, these are included here. If you are concerned about the actions of anyone using ASD mail [email protected].

Weddings

To have a wedding the netcouple must first book it. When they book it, a note is sent to #chapel. Once they have booked, someone from the #chapel database contacts them to arrange a suitable time.

Weddings are done via scripts, so if you need it, please ask someone on #loveop or #chapel for it. Make sure the to be married couple are using the nicks that are listed on the engaged list database (/msg loveop netcouple list engaged *) or LoveOP won't recognise them.

1. Check they are on engaged database
2. Send a note to #chapel before you do the wedding so no one doubles up
3. Arrange a suitable time with the nicks that is mutually suitable.
4. At the moment we only have the script worded for a male/female couple but we will work on getting another script made for other couples if needed. Weddings only work for #chapel (hardcoded into OPAS).
5. Set the nicks so Script can read them
6. Send chanop out of the channel
7. Op only yourself and voice the couple
8. Moderate the channel
9. If a global was sent once it calms down set +i before you start
10. Once the wedding is over -mi
11. Deop yourself let the couple stand alone with loveop only.
12. After everyone leaves bring chanop back on channel.
13. Couples breaking up can use the netcouple del command themselves.

Nick Deletes

This is generally used when you see the global notices possible nick abuse. However if it is a common mask (eg user@*.sg) it will show all people with that mask as being connected. Please check by messaging the nick to see if they are on a network/lan, if they are a school, or have a reason for needing more than 4 nicknames.

1. First try to msg them to see why they have so many
2. Second you check /msg chanop list nick to see if they own a channel. If you delete the nick it will suspend the channel.
3. Lastly you check their linked nicks to see how many other nicks are linked to theirs.

Password Retrieval

All users have email addresses stored with NickOP. After 14 February 1998 there is NO reason to tell any user his password; you should instead mail it to the address given. If that address is not valid, nothing can be done.

1. Check for $ symbols in the password. Have the user try the password without them.
2. Always check the host list for notes requesting that a user's password not be given out.

Suspension for services abuse

This can include using ChanOP to invite flood or using topic to advertise other networks etc. Also includes adding a database of people to the channel and then using NoteOP to mass-message.

Always check!

1. First check the channel is doing wrong.
2. Check that the offenders have ops or on the database.
3. Warn them. Everyone is entitled to one chance. Quote /motd services.* Give the channel the chance to ban the nick and or remove access
4. If the channel continues suspend it, quoting a reason and where possible some proof.
5. Never remove a suspension you didn't place unless the person who placed it asked you to.
6. If you discover proof that a channel is being 'framed' by somebody else, suspend the framer's channel.

Suspension for advertising or mass inviting

See the notes on spam above.

1. Join the channel, paste the spam, and allow the channel a chance to deal with it.
2. Check they have access or ops. Use -check switch and examine linked nicks.
3. If they persist then suspend the channel giving the spam pasted as reason for suspending.
4. Never remove a suspension you didn't place unless the person who placed it asked you to.
5. Do not suspend a channel and give it back 5 mins later. That is not long enough to be educational.
6. If the owner is the one causing the trouble and has been suspended a few times before then remove access to owner and give to next highest on access list. Where there is more than one person in this category contact rogery or redtrio to add to voteop for a vote on new owner.
7. If you do not have access to do a command use the /helpme command to get a senior ASD.

Using ASD access to control ChanOP

Do not do thisunless there are no alternatives. ASD does not own the channel, so we do not have the right to use ChanOP unless there is abuse going on and there is no other means to rectify a situation that could affect other people in a bad way.

Denying registration to a nick or channel

This is used only if a user is abusing services. Do not use this facility in fun.

Instructing the Services to ignore a user

Do not use this command unless necessary: its effects are permanent. Do not remove once set.

Protecting a channel or nick from automatic expiration

Only do this for Austnet related channels or nicks (helpers/opers, promotion channels etc).

Modifying the registration status of a channel

Use this in situations such as promotions where an email has been sent to austnet.org. This is also used to change a registered owner or remove a channel.

1. Check if nick/channel are being used
2. Check to see if the user already owns a channel
3. Do not delete a channel if there is no valid reason. Modify it to another owner if the original owner isnt comming back.

Administration

If someone is deleted from ASD please send note to #asd so we know. If someone is added to ASD please send note to #asd quoting the level.

Only RogerY, redtrio or Andrew should ever synch the services.