National Weather Network Echo Rules, revised Jan. 1, 2023
This echo is designed for weather and earth science related info.
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 1:2320/33 (also reachable 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...when most
people are likely asleep, and unaware of the approaching storms.
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
Note that with the Today In History postings, data after 1990 is PARTIAL.
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. Even if a tornado is
"just going through an open field", that likely is someone's property,
and potentially their livelihood (to feed their family) that's being
destroyed.
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, 1:2320/33 or at 1:19/33
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* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)