********************************************************************** FTSC FIDONET TECHNICAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE ********************************************************************** Publication: FTA-1001 Revision: 3 Title: FTSC Operations Author: Administrator Revision Date: 17 January 1998 Expiry Date: 17 January 2000 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents: 1. Definitions 2. Documentation 3. Structure 4. Access 5. Approvals ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Definitions -------------- Plurality: More votes than any other candidate, but less than a majority. Majority: More than fifty percent of all votes cast. 2. Documentation ---------------- 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 ------------ 3.1 FTSC Administrator ---------------------- 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 ------------------------ 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 ------------------ 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 ---------------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------------------------ Responsibilities (FTS-0006, 0007, 0008): 1. Handshaking 2. File Transfer Protocols 3. Mailer interaction 3.4.3 Working Group C - Echomail and Routing -------------------------------------------- Responsibilities (FTS-0004): 1. EchoMail 2. Kludges 3. Message Standards 4. Routing of netmail and echomail 3.4.4 Working Group D - Nodelist -------------------------------- Responsibilities (FTS-0005): 1. The distribution nodelist 2. Nodediff format 3. Compiled nodelists Additional Special Assignment Working Groups are formed as necessary to investigate the documentation of new Standards proposals. 3.5 Removal from Office ----------------------- 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 --------- 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: Odinn Sorensen, 2:236/77 3. FTSC Internet Web site. Access: Anyone Distribution: http://www.goldware.dk/ftsc Liaison: Odinn Sorensen 4. FTSC echomail conference. Access: FTSC Standing Members & Administrator only Distribution: Private Moderator: Odinn Sorensen, 2:236/77 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 ------------ 5.1 Technical Standards (FTS) ----------------------------- 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 ----------------- 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) ----------------------------- 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 ---------- 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. **********************************************************************