CTCP Networks User Policies

Purpose

The CTCP Networks IRC Network ("CTCP Networks") exists to provide Internet users with a pleasant place to carry on conversation, where the medium of conversation is transparent and does not interfere with the users' ability to talk to each other. At the same time, CTCP Networks protects the right of those users to engage in undisturbed conversation, preventing other users from accidentally or maliciously interrupting that conversation. 

CTCP Networks is a privately owned, funded and operated non-proft service. Access to CTCP Networks is not a right, but a privilege. CTCP Networks reserve the right to remove and/or revoke access of any person or bot from any or all servers. 

CTCP Networks provide this service purely or individuals to chat to other individuals. We reserve the right to make a charge for connections to the service that are purely used for bots. 

While any violations of these policies brought to the attention of the CTCP Networks administration will be dealt with, CTCP Networks assumes no responsibility for the actions of those who use CTCP Networks, and will not attempt to seek out violations. 

These policies should not be assumed to apply to a personal disagreement between users. If a user is found reporting a policy violation as a result of a personal agreement, they may find that their access to the network is revoked. 

Recourses

Violation of any of the policies herein may result in a kill, K-line or G-Line. In severe cases your ISP (Internet Service Provider) will be contacted and your internet account may be shut down! CTCP Networks will offer full co-operation with Law Enforcement officials in the event of illegal activity occurring on the network and CTCP Networks being so required to assist in any ensuing investigation.

If you think you have been unfairly klined or killed from a server or the network you should email kline@ctcp.net stating the reasons why you think the kill or kline is unfair together with full logs of the events that led up to the kill/kline. 

Any complaints, or issues regarding this network, including abuse, should be emailed to  abuse@ctcp.net 

Warranty and Disclaimer

The CTCP Networks Service, henceforth called the Service, is a no cost public service provided by private individuals and its individual contributors assume no responsibility for the accuracy, errors, omissions, performance, uses, or material contained in the Service.

The Service is provided "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. INDEMNITY AND DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY.

IRC is an unmoderated international medium. You agree that access to and use of the Service is at your own risk and neither CTCP Networks nor its principals shall be liable for any claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs or expenses of any kind arising from or related to either your use of the Service or any action or omission of CTCP Networks in providing the Service. You further agree to indemnify and hold CTCP Networks and its principals harmless from and with respect to any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs and expenses, joint or several, under statute, common law or otherwise, arising out of, based upon or in connection with access, use, inability to use or misuse of the Service.

Children should be supervised at all times.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND GOVERNING LAW. This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United Kingdom. The parties hereby agree that the appropriate forum for any disputes arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be the courts of the United Kingdom, and the parties hereby irrevocably consent to the exclusive and personal jurisdiction of such courts.

Policy

For there to be a clean and safe environment for our intended users on our network, some policies are needed. All the rules below can be condensed down to just "play nice". The punishments, if any, for breaking the rules are listed alongside. 

CTCP Networks is intended as a forum for conversation. Hence, any activities which jeopardize the rights of other users in that regard or generally, or the existence or functionality of CTCP Networks as a whole, are prohibited. These include without limitation:

• Faked user@host and IP spoofing
  You will be killed then klined or glined for repeat offences. No warning will be given, the reason will be in the kill or ban message.
• Linklookers 
  This is a waste of server resources and violators will be warned to stop. Subsequent violations will result in you being killed then klined or glined. 
• Mass-Actions/Mass messaging and advertising
  Mass-actions including but not limited to mass ads, clones, spam, invites, msgs of any kind whether by /notice, /query (also known as /msg), or any other medium.
  Mass messaging and advertising is annoying, and it takes up server resources. Anyone who is mass messaging probably won't see any warnings so will be /kill ed regardless.
• Flooding
  Flooding of users and channels including sending repeated messages to a user or channel.
  Flooding is not tolerated on CTCP Networks and may result in your connection to the server being terminated. Further abuse may cause you to be banned from CTCP Networks.
  The offending party involved in flooding will be warned. If the warning is not adhered to, a /kill will be issued. If after which the user returns to continue flooding, a k:line will be issued. 
• Cloning/Client Login limitations
  Running an excessive number of clients simultaneously is forbidden. This puts an unnecessary additional strain on the resources. Please read the MOTD on servers for the amount of clones or bots you can run.  You may find your clones or bots mysteriously disappearing if you go over the limit set out in the MOTD. Also, be aware of the network-wide limit of 3.
• Spamming 
  Spamming in any form, of channels, servers and users is prohibited. The offending party involved in flooding will be warned. If the warning is not adhered to, a /kill will be issued. If after which the user returns to continue flooding, a k:line will be issued. 
• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to IRC channels.
  This includes attempting to gain ops in a channel where you should not have ops, attempting to obtain the founder access to a channel as well as entering invite only and keyed channels where you are not authorised to visit. 
• IRC operator, other CTCP.NET staff impersonation and services impersonation.
  You may not lead anyone to believe falsely that you are an admin or an IRCop if you are not. You must also not "steal" an IRCop's identitity, which may include their nick name and user name, and pretend to be that IRCop.
  This confuses users, and can sometimes stop the real staff member(s) getting on quickly during a Network Emergency. Impersonating staff is not allowed, and the staff member on duty will deal out the appropriate warning, or, if the warning is ignored, a /kill will be issued.
  You must NEVER change your nick to one of the nicks used by services. Doing this will almost certainly, at the very least, result in your connection to the server being terminated.
• Imitating Users
  You may not imitate another user for any malicious purpose, which includes, but is not limited to stealing/using another user's identity to damage their reputation, gain access to their channel, bot, or other such things.
• Harassing
  Harassment of ANY kind will not be tolerated e.g. through inflammatory messages. Please note however, that harassment does not constitute 5 minutes of pestering. Harassment is usually over a period of days and weeks. Please contact abuse@ctcp.net to report harassment in strict confidence. A suitable restriction will be placed on the offender and his/her ISP notified.
• Denial of Service (DoS) and Packet Attacks, exploiting weaknesses and bugs in client or server software
  Any DoS attack on any of the servers, services or CTCP Networks users is punishable by a ban from the network, and may result in your ISP being contacted, who could close your account, and/or take legal action against you.
  This includes taking advantage of bugs in scripts or bots, or anything that the client or server is not meant to do under normal operation. Also, Denial of Service Attacks can include, but are in no way limited to: ICMP Relay attacks, 'nuking', flooding, teardropping, landing and any other type of attack where the client or sever is affected. Offenders will be immediately k:lined. Your ISP will also be informed of the attack(s). This sort of attack is actually illegal in most countries. If you continue, local authorities will be informed under the 'Computer Misuse Act.'
• Colliding, takeovers of any kind, nukes, warbots, warscripts. 
• Evading channel bans or server connection restrictions
  Evading channel bans is not allowed. You will have been removed from a channel for good reason. If you evade that ban, you will be K:lined on the current host. If you cotinually evade channel bans you may be glined, possibly without warning and your ISP may be informed of your actions.
• Evading user ignores and silences
  A user is ignoring you for a reason. Evading this will constitute harassment. (see above)
• G-Line/K-Line Evasion
  Evading server and network  bans is not allowed. You will have been removed from our network for good reason. If you evade a gline or kline set for you, it will result in a much harsher punishment, which may involve your ISP being contacted. If you wish to appeal a server or network ban you should contact kline@ctcp.net. 
• Trojan Programs
  If Trojans with IRC capabilities are found to be joining your channel (such as sub 7), the channel may be shut down without notification. If you would like to appeal against such a closure you should first contact the IRCop who closed the channel, if possible, or else contact netadmin@ctcp.net.
  If you are found to be connecting through a Trojan program on someone's computer you will be immediately removed from the network.
• Virus Distribution
  If you are found to be distributing viruses, worms, Trojan programs, or any other malicious program, whether intentionally or otherwise, you will be asked to cease that activity. 
  If the IRCop is not satisfied that you have taken the necessary steps to stop the sending of such programs within due time, you will be G-Lined.
• Scripts 
  Control your scripts, do not let them control you.
  Connection to the network with a War Script regardless of your intentions will result in your connection being terminated immediately.
  If you are using a client that has been extensively modified with scripts eg Polaris, you must change the defaults for IDENT and the quit message. The default IDENT will prevent you from connecting to some servers on the network. The default quit message is an "advertisement" and classified as SPAM so must be replaced it with a quit message of your own. Failure to do so may result in your connection being terminated.
  You will not use scripts of any kind in the network channels or any channel which prohibits the use of scripts. Your scripts must be disabled while you are marked as away. 
• Services
  CTCP Networks runs several services designed to assist IRC users; these include NickServ, ChanServ, and MemoServ, and are collectively known as "Services". Services may not be used in any way that adversely affects CTCP Networks or its users. Such ways include: 
  * Cracking, or attempting to crack, other users' passwords. 
  * Registering nicknames or channels for the sole purpose of preventing others from registering them. 
  * Flooding Services. 
• Bot policy 
  Bots are allowed on some servers in this network subject to the bot policies detailed below. "Spider bots", "War bots", "Clone bots" and "Flood bots" are prohibited at all times.
  Before bringing a bot onto any server you must check any specific bot policy of that server. Absolutely NO "spider bots", "war bots", "clone bots" or "flood bots" are allowed to connect to any server on this network. 
  Personal bots must not have kick or deop privileges unless they are designated as a channel management bots in which case they may only retain such privileges with the explicit permission of the channel owner.
  Unless you are the channel owner, or have permission from the channel owner, you must remove your bot from a channel on request of the ops in that channel ot the owner of that channel. 
  When you leave a channel or the network, your bot must also leave unless the bot is a channel management bot running with the permission of the channel owner or you own that channel. 
  You must provide owner information in the bot in the whois information so that users can contact you in the event there are problems with your bot on the network. Bots without this information will be removed from the network and the owner risks being banned.
  Bots which connect without their owner that have not been given permission to so connect will be removed from the network and their owners may be banned.
  Faking a user@host for your bot to try and circumvent clone detection or avoid the policies here will result in both you and the bot will be banned from the network.
  You should set user mode +B for your bot so that it can be easily identified as such. Bots found without user mode +B will be removed from the network. When +B is set the network will display any BOT MOTD that pertains to that server. You must comply with any specific restrictions listed therein.
  Bots failing to comply with Network bot policy or additional Server restrictions will be banned. Continued abuse of bot policy will result in you ISP and uplink providers being contacted.
  In the event of connection from "spider bots", "war bots", "clone bots" or "flood bots" , your ISP and uplink providers will be contacted immediately.
  If you have any questions on bot policy, email help@ctcp.net or contact a Network Administrator in channel #opers on IRC before you bring your bot onto the network. .
• IDENT Policy
  You should enable the IDENTd server in your IRC client before connecting to the network. You may find your connection refused by some servers on this network if you do not enable this feature.
• Network Channels
  The "official" Network Channel open to users is #opers. This channel is the designated help channel for the network and should be your first port of call for assistance. The channel is not intended for general chat and you may find yourself removed from the channel if you are merely idling there. If you wish to get involved in helping users on the network, #opers is a reasonable place for you to do so. 
  The channel is moderated and visitors are voiced in the order that they joined. Do not message the ops in this channel. As soon as someone is free to assist you, you will be given voice.
  The following are prohibited in Network channels:
  Bots, Cybersex, EXCESSIVE offensive conversation (swearing, insulting, etc.), use of colour in messages, idling, scripts of any kind. 
• Abuse in Channels
  Abuse in numerous channels constitutes a network offence, and offenders will be killed. There will be no warning since such levels of abuse will usually mean the offender is ignoring messages from other people. Network channels count as one of these channels if they are being abused in some way.
• Sex/Porn Channels
  Animal and child porn channels are strictly foridden. No other restrictions are current in force. We reserve the right, however, to change this at any time, without prior notice.
• User Channels
  IRCops do NOT regulate content in a channel unless given an @ like any other user, with the exception of the above, and any other activities which constitute a network offense. 
• Transferring, requesting, or offering pirated software (warez)
  Don't do this on our network please. We are at risk as an organization if you trade warez on our network by the authorities. DONT. Repeat offenders will be banned.
• Transferring, requesting, or offering (child) pornography
  Anyone trading, receiving or requesting (child) pornography will be K:lined, their ISP informed, and local authorities informed in your area. You have been warned officially now, no warning will be issued in IRC, you've just had it.
• This network is not to be used for illegal activities.
• Nicknames
  Nicknames are reserved using Nickserv on CTCP Networks plus QLines which forbid certain nicknames for example those nicks used or reserved, by services. You may use any nick you wish, providing it is not registered, and you do not imitate another user for malicious purposes. You may also register nicknames of your choice with Nickserv but excessive registrations may result in all your registrations being dropped. 
  We recommend you turn on the security and kill options as well as securing the access list for your nickname if you wish to protect your nick from other users.
  Nicknames will expire after 30 days without use. If your nickname expires at this time it is open for any user to register it as their own. We will not cancel the new owners registration. We will not take a registered nick from another user for you to use.
• Proxy Servers
  Upon connecting an automated test is checking if you're from an insecured Wingate or Socks server or any open http proxy or open cisco router. This test CAN be safely ignored. Ports tested are 80, 81, 8080, 8081, 3128, 1080 and 23. We also use the blitzed Open Proxy balacklist and any address listed in their database will be banned from the network. See http://opm.blitzed.org for more information. 
  Please be aware that we reserve the right to terminate any connections to our servers which are made through open proxies, without any other reason.
  Furthermore, if you are not connecting through an open proxy, but are running one,  then the above also applies to you.
• IRCop Begging
  There are no IRCop or Admin positions available on CTCP Networks. When there are, the admins will choose someone who is knowledgeable and helpful on the network not those that ask.
  Please do not ask to be IRCop or Admin, as refusal often offends.
• Connections by minors
  CTCP Networks do not operate specific limitations on the minimum age to use the network. However, certain countries may provide minimum age levels for use of certain Internet services. We reserve the right to ask a minor not to use CTCP networks or have them provide parental consent before using the service should it be deemed appropriate in a given situation or that regulations in the area that a user connects from requires such actions. Conversations on IRC sometimes cover adult topics so we also recommend that minors have their parents use the network with them to begin with in order to work out whether they feel the conversations are suitable. 

Servers on this network cannot be used to gain ops when split.