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FTSC FIDONET TECHNICAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE
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Publication: FTA-1001
Revision: 4
Title: FTSC Operations
Author: Administrator
Revision Date: 18 January 1999
Expiry Date: 18 January 2001
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Contents:
1. Definitions
2. Documentation
3. Structure
4. Access
5. Approvals
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1. Definitions
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Plurality: More votes than any other candidate, but less than a
majority.
Majority: More than fifty percent of all votes cast.
2. Documentation
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Every Fidonet Technical Standards (FTS) document shall be reviewed
at least once every two years and revised as needed.
Every Fidonet Standards Proposal (FSP) document shall be assessed
for conversion to a FTS document within two years of its
submission, and thereafter will either become an FTS document, or
be assigned to the FRL library.
Fidonet Reference Library (FRL) documents are former Fidonet
Standards Proposals which were not granted FTS standing. They are
maintained in the library permanently for reference and historical
purposes.
FTSC Administrative (FTA) documents guide the operation of the
FTSC. FTA-1000 is amendable by the FTSC only after extensive
discussion in the FTSC_PUBLIC echo, and the formation of a broad
public concensus on changes to the overall mandate. FTA-1001 and
FTA-1007 are amendable by the FTSC after public input and concensus
in the FTSC_PUBLIC echo, on needed operational changes. FTA-1002
through FTA-1006 are data listings and may be revised by the FTSC
Administrator with the agreement of the Standing Members, without
the need for public input.
Intellectual property rights for Standards Proposals and Technical
Standards are covered by FTA-1007. Please read this document before
submitting any proposal.
3. Structure
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3.1 FTSC Administrator
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The FTSC administrator is appointed for a four year renewable term.
To be eligible for appointment, an individual must be a Fidonet
node, be actively involved in Fidonet, though not necessarily in a
programming context, and should have proven organizational skills. A
candidate need not be a member of the FTSC. It is recommended that a
successful candidate not carry any *C or *EC responsibilities during
the term of office.
A candidate for FTSC Administrator may be nominated by any Standing
Member.
The FTSC Administrator is appointed on the basis of a vote by all
Standing Members who are defined by the then-current edition of
FTA-1003 (FTSC Membership List). A successful candidate must receive
approval by at least a plurality of votes.
Publication of the nominations and the voting procedure shall take
place openly in the FTSC_PUBLIC echo, and voting shall close three
weeks after publication of the vote. Votes shall be by netmail
ballot to an independent enumerator.
Responsibilities:
1. Ensuring FTSC Mandate is adhered to.
2. Facilitating communications links between members.
3. Maintaining document distribution links.
4. Coordinating all membership nominations and voting.
5. Developing Working Groups as required.
6. Ensuring that the FTSC seeks, accepts and responds to public
input.
7. Assigning FSP numbers to new Standards Proposals.
3.2 FTSC Standing Members
-------------------------
FTSC members are appointed for a two year renewable term. [50 % of
appointments on initial formation of the FTSC shall be for a 3 year
renewable term, to ensure continuity of the Committee on expiry of
the terms.]
To be selected as a FTSC member, an individual must be a Fidonet
node, and should be actively involved in Fidonet. Examples include
having put out a Fidonet-related product or having updated a product
in the preceding two years, or having experience as a Coordinator,
Echomail Coordinator or mail or file Hub.
Standing members may be nominated Fidonet-wide by all of the
following methods:
1. Any RC or REC.
2. A nominating committee established for the purpose by the FTSC.
3. A nominating committee established for the purpose by the ZCC.
A nominating committee may not consist of any current member or
officer of the FTSC.
Standing members are appointed on the basis of a vote by all RCs and
RECs who are nodelisted as holding those positions at the time the
nominations are published. A successful candidate must receive
approval by a majority of votes.
Publication of the nomination and the voting procedure, and posting
of RC and REC votes, shall take place openly in the FTSC_PUBLIC
echo, and voting shall close three weeks after publication of the
vote.
3.3 Working Group Leader
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A Working Group Leader is selected by the FTSC Administrator and
must be a Standing Member of the FTSC.
The following information will be provided to the leader at the time
of selection:
1. Technical focus of the Leader's group.
2. Its operating time-frame.
3. Authority to invite FTSC members or outside advisors to
participate.
4. The setting up of any necessary admin or file echoes.
3.4 Working Groups
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Working groups are formed to provide focus.
Standing Working Groups are permanent entities which are responsible
for monitoring the accuracy of existing Technical Standards and
effecting change to those Standards to reflect current practice. The
following 4 groups are active as of the date of this document:
3.4.1 Working Group A - Data Transmitted
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Responsibilities (FTS-0001 and 0009):
1. Netmail
2. Transport format
3. Stored format
4. Message control lines
3.4.2 Working Group B - Connection and Protocols
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Responsibilities (FTS-0006, 0007, 0008):
1. Handshaking
2. File Transfer Protocols
3. Mailer interaction
3.4.3 Working Group C - Echomail and Routing
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Responsibilities (FTS-0004):
1. EchoMail
2. Kludges
3. Message Standards
4. Routing of netmail and echomail
3.4.4 Working Group D - Nodelist
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Responsibilities (FTS-0005):
1. The distribution nodelist
2. Nodediff format
3. Compiled nodelists
3.4.5 Working Group E - Gating and Other Networks
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Responsibilities:
1. Connection over TCP/IP
2. Transferral of messages from InterNet to FidoNet
Additional Special Assignment Working Groups are formed as necessary
to investigate the documentation of new Standards proposals.
3.4.6 Working Group Y - Year 2000 Issues
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Responsibilities:
1. Year 2000 awareness
2. Survey of existant software
3. Review of other documents
3.5 Removal from Office
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If it is established that any member, including any officer, of the
FTSC has repeatedly failed to carry out the duties of the position
as described above, or has acted in a manner which would bring the
FTSC into disrepute, that person may be removed from office and/or
from membership in the FTSC. The following procedure shall be used:
1. A vote to remove from office and/or from FTSC membership shall
be held only if it can be established by a majority vote of a
committee consisting of the FTSC Administrator and Working
Group Leaders, but excluding the member or officer under
consideration, that the above criteria have all been met and
that removal can be justified.
2. The committee shall post its recommendation and the text of a
proposed voting question for the general membership in the
FTSC_PUBLIC echo.
3. Discussion of the concerns, and publication of the voting
procedure shall then take place openly in the FTSC_PUBLIC echo.
4. The vote shall be held three weeks after publication of the
vote, and shall be by netmail ballot to an independent
enumerator.
5. Removal from office and/or from FTSC membership shall be
effected by a majority vote of all FTSC members, whether voting
or not and including the member in question, in favour of the
removal.
4. Access
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The FTSC maintains the following information channels:
1. FTSC_PUBLIC echomail conference.
Access: Anyone
Distribution: North American Backbone and Zones 2 and 3
Moderator: Bruce Bodger, 1:170/400
2. FTSC file echo.
Access: Anyone
Distribution: Filebone
Liaison: Colin Turner, 2:2/20
3. FTSC Internet Web site.
Access: Anyone
Distribution:
http://www.piglets.com/ftsc
Liaison: Colin Turner <
[email protected]>
4. FTSC echomail conference.
Access: FTSC Standing Members & Administrator only
Distribution: Private
Moderator: Colin Turner, 2:2/20
5. FTSC.WG.x working group echomail conferences.
Access: FTSC Working Group Members & Administrator only
Distribution: Private
Moderators: Working Group Leaders
Input to the FTSC on published standards, and standards proposals
concerning those standards is normally by netmail to the Leader of
the appropriate Working Group. This input will then be forwarded to
that Groups' internal discussion echo for response.
Input to the FTSC on other standards proposals is normally by
netmail to the FTSC Administrator. This input will then be forwarded
to the FTSC discussion echo for response.
All members of the FTSC will also accept such input and will ensure
that it is forwarded to the Leader of the appropriate Working Group
or to the FTSC echo as appropriate.
The FTSC encourages the use of any additional channels for
submitting Standards Proposals, suggestions and comments.
The FTSC does not act as an enforcement body for compliance with
published Standards, but may provide interpretations or advice on
the application of Technical Standards, and the apparent
compatibility of any software implementation.
Developers or Coordinators wishing clarification of the application
of part of a specification may request an official clarification or
interpretation of the Technical Standard by contacting the FTSC
Administrator or the Leader of the appropriate Working Group.
5. Approvals
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5.1 Technical Standards (FTS)
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The FTSC does not invent new standards, but only documents existing
implementations. It does not design the data formats or protocols
but only attempts to document them.
Where developers or users show strong interest in a proposed
implementation, the FTSC will review such a FSP proposal and may
publish it as a specification for software developers to follow.
A Technical Standard should be sufficiently complete and
self-contained that it should be possible to give a competent
programmer a copy of the standard and have him/her produce a
working, compliant implentation without reference to any other
document.
5.2 Product Codes
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Product Codes shall be assigned, and a list maintained by the FTSC.
The list can be found in FTA-1005.
5.3 Standards Proposals (FSP)
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All Standards Proposals submitted to the FTSC shall be formatted as
detailed in FTA-1002 (Document Submission and Publication Standard).
Any Fidonet sysop may submit a Standards Proposal.
A sysop in a non-Fidonet network may also submit a Standards
Proposal to document extensions to Fidonet technology. Where
compatible connections with the other network are of importance to
Fidonet, the FTSC may assign a working group to review the proposal,
in which case non-FTSC or non-Fidonet members will generally be
invited to advise the group.
Provided that a Standards Proposal meets FTA-1002 standards, or a
proposal from a non-Fidonet network is to be considered, the FTSC
administrator shall:
1. Assign it an FSP number.
2. Add it to the library of Standards Proposals.
3. Distribute it via the normal FTSC file echo.
4. Make it available via any other FTSC file access source.
5. Refer the document to an existing or new committee for
recommendation.
The recommendation in '5' above shall be one of the following:
1. To accept the FSP as an recognized Technical Standard, in which
case the Administrator shall:
1. Immediately circulate the draft FTS in the FTSC_PUBLIC
echomail conference for comment by a specified date.
2. Make any resulting revisions.
3. Assign it an FTS number.
4. Publish and distribute the new FTS.
2. To accept the FSP as an Technical Standard subject to requested
changes by a specified date by the author. If the changes are
made, the procedure in '1' shall be followed, otherwise the
procedure in '3' shall be followed.
3. To file the FSP as a reference library (FRL) document.
A. History
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Rev.1, 19971214: First non-draft release. Author Adrian Walker.
Rev.2, 19971229: Reformatted slightly. Author changed to
Administrator. Revision number added. Minor
text adjustments. Updated access information.
Rev.3, 19980117: Replaced the public domain requirement with a
reference to the newly ratified FTA-1007 document.
Rev.4, 19990118: Updated access information. Added working groups
E (Gating) and Y (Year 2000).
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