BOFHNet Rules

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The BOFHNet system of government is that of a democracy. This means that if a user wishes to have an aspect of the network changed, they may contact an operator in order to petition for that change to take effect. If enough users petition for the same change, the change will occur.

The BOFHNet staff is what makes up the "Council of operators." Decisions and user requests are passed through it, just as in a federal/state democracy in a given country. Decisions are made based on the highest number of votes. However, if there is a tie, the highest ranking operator present has the power to override the majority vote and have the final say on the matter.

Joining the council

If a user wishes to join the BOFHNet staff, he/she may apply by sending an e-mail message to server@the-bofh.com. The application will be then considered for approval by the council. The user will then be notified as to the outcome of their application once it has been determined. Provided that the user's application was aproved by the council of operators, that user will be then required to pass a certification test. This test is present to ensure that the incoming user knows basic IRC commands, as well as the workings of the server that BOFHNet is currently using. A good study guide is the latest official Unreal-3.2 docs. Any questions regarding test preparation may be directed to an online operator. Once the user has completed the certification test, it will then be determined whether or not the user has passed. Provided they have passed the test, they will be given the privelages that their current grade has allowed them. A list of grades and their coresponding access levels may be found below.

50-65: The operator will be given services helper operator access.
66-75: The operator will be given Services Admin access.
76-85: The operator will receive Services Admin access, as well as the following in their oper block: can_override, can_localkill, can_globalkill, can_globops, can_globalnotice, can_localnotice, can_wallops, can_kline, and can_unkline.
86-95: The operator will get all of the above, as well as: can_gline, can_gzline, admin, and netadmin.
95+: The operator gets all the oper flags, plus they get services master status as well.

An operator may re-test at any time to improve their oper status. In order for an operator to be elegable for a re-test, they must have had their current oper status for at least 72 hours.

BOFHNet Rules

The rules are really quite simple.

The operators are always right. This may seem like a conflict when compared to the above discussion on government. However, the above holds true since operators will not abuse their power against users. If an operator tells a user that a rule is enforced, then that is the case. A user has the right to verify their information with another operator in order to clear up any possible misconceptions. If you witness an operator abusing their power, report it to another operator immediately. The offending operator will consequently be swiftly dealt with.
As mentioned on the home page, exercise common courtesy. Treat others as you would want to be treated in return. If your actions are deamed offensive by someone else, perform them somewhere else. If you continue being offensive and/or harassing other users, with the knowledge that you are doing so, the operators may take action depending on the situation. In general, be nice to people and there won't be any problems.
An operator will not interfere with a privately-held channel unless there is reason to do so i.e., if there is a threat to the network that is in said channel. Any disgressionary actions that the owner of that channel takes against an offensive user cannot be dealt with through an operator. Operators will not, and cannot govern user-held channels. If you have any questions about the above rules, please ask an operator.

Glossary

This short list of definitions is here for reference purposes only.

Oper Block: The section in unrealircd.conf where a nickname's operator parameters are stored. Refer to the Unreal documentation for more information.
Council Of Operators: The combination of all the members of the BOFHNet staff.