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Introduction to the
NEOPAGANISM, WITCHCRAFT AND MAGICK
Echo Conference Network
1. Overview
In November of 1985, Senator Jesse Helms and Representative
Robert Walker each introduced legislation that would have
prohibited tax-exempt status for any church or religious
organization that practiced "sorcery" or "had a substantial
interest ... in the promotion of witchcraft."
The effect that these bills had on the magickal community
was electrifying. Groups and traditions that otherwise hated or
distrusted each other banded together into one large network,
bound together by the telephone and by U.S. Mail, to block their
passage. It took over a year, but finally both bills were dead.
They seem unlikely to return soon.
In early 1986, a programmer named Jeff Rush wrote a FidoNet
extension called EchoMail. It electrified and revolutionized the
FidoNet community every bit as much as the Helms Amendment and
Walker Bill did the magickal community.
In the very earliest days of EchoMail, Brad Hicks, sysop of
WeirdBase, a Discordio-Pagan bulletin board on the FidoNet in St.
Louis, Missouri (1:100/523) came up with the idea of finding
every possible Pagan and magickal contact person who could dial
into the FidoNet, and connect them all together, ideally via an
EchoMail conference. So he advertised quietly for such people in
several articles in FidoNews.
Initially, three other systems replied. In Berkeley,
California, Josh Gordon was operating a bulletin board for the Ordo Templar
Orientis called ThelemNet (125/93 then, 1:161/93 now). In Gardner,
Massachusetts, a local astrolger named MizMoon had a horoscope area on
Dave's Fido (1:101/27). And on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, a hippy
named Gene Clayton replied that he didn't know much about the subject
but surely was interested.
From these four systems was formed the very first EchoMail
conference set up to discuss a specific, non-technical subject:
the MAGICK EchoMail Conference. In its first month, it garnered
only a few dozen messages. It has since grown beyond belief, to
40 or more systems and dozens of messages =per night.= To
accomodate the increase in traffic (and the continuous stream of
the new and curious), the Neopaganism, Witchcraft and Magick
conference was separated into its three current components
(MAGICKNET, METAPHYSICAL, and MUNDANE) in March of 1988, almost
exactly two years after it was founded.
As of Beltane (May Eve) 1990, the load of adminstering the
huge and still growing echomail system, became too much for Brad Hicks and
the network administrative duties were assumed jointly by several
people in New Mexico and Colorado.
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2. Content of the Neopaganism, Witchcraft and Magick Conferences
2.1 MAGICKNET...... Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick
This remains the normal Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick
echo. However, discussions of only marginal relevance to the topic(s)
will be strongly encouraged to move to MUNDANE.
2.2 METAPHYSICAL... Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick (articles)
This portion of the echo is intended to encourage members of
the magickal community to discuss points in common and points of
difference in detail; to promote scholarship and depth of thought
in the magickal community. Only messages of magazine-article
quality should be posted in Metaphysical. Replies to articles
posted in METAPHYSICAL should be posted in MAGICKNET. It is the
responsibility of each sysop to ensure that messages which belong
in MAGICKNET or MUNDANE do not get posted here. For example, the
sysop may choose to have users submit potential messages as files
to be converted (by the sysop) into messages, or alternatively
may only give access privilege sufficient to post into METAPHYS-
ICAL to trusted users who have had the policy explained to them.
However, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should unvalidated, first-time
callers be permitted to post in METAPHYSICAL.
2.3 MUNDANE........ Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick (sidetrack)
Many members of the original Magick echo derived great
pleasure
and satisfaction from being able to discuss mundane and political
matters with other members of the magickal community. Unfortu-
nately, left unchecked such discussions can tend to crowd serious
magickal discussions. To allow both types of dialog to exist
side-by-side, the MUNDANE echo was formed. If a discussion
starts in either the MAGICKNET or the METAPHYSICAL echo that is
irrelevant to their topics, the parties to that discussion will
be =strongly= encouraged to move the discussion over to MUNDANE
(if not completely away from the Neopaganism, Witchcraft and
Magick Conference).
This should not be confused with a wide-open general chatter
echo. While the topics may range freely, only members of the
magickal community or those with interests in magickal topics are
encouraged to post here.
3. Rules of the Neopaganism, Witchcraft & Magick Conference
3.1 Nodes Required to Provide All Three Echos
All systems which distribute this conference or make it
available to the public are required to carry all three echos.
Mail-only and/or point systems which do not distribute the
Neopaganism, Witchcraft and Magick conferences or make them publically
available are exempted from this rule but are strongly encouraged to
carry all three echos in order to be able to follow discussions which
are moved to other tracks.
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3.2 Notify Coordinator of Local Distribution
Any system carrying all of the MagickNet echos may further
distribute them to any private or FidoNet node within their local calling
area. However, they are required to notify the coordinator of this
hookup at once, and to distribute to that node or point the current version
of this document.
3.3 Request Permission for Non-Local Distribution
No system may distribute all or part of the MagickNet echos
to a node or point outside their local calling area without first securing
permission from the networking coordinator(s).
3.4 No Illegal Messages
No message which is blatantly illegal in content shall be
entered into the MagickNet echos. The only exception will be for
messages regarding legitimate religious practices or beliefs
which are or may be made illegal, in violation of the First
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the U.N. Statement on
Human Rights.
3.5 No Harrassing Messages
No message which is intended to harrass someone because of
their religious beliefs (or for any other reason), or to convert them
to another religion, shall be entered into any of the MagickNet echos. No
exceptions will be made to this rule, even in the MUNDANE echo.
3.6 No Irrelevant Messages
No message which is irrelevant to the topics of Neopaganism,
Witchcraft, and Magick shall be entered into MAGICKNET or into
METAPHYSICAL. For this rule, a warning will be issued, and in
general the conversation will be permitted to continue in the
MUNDANE echo.
3.7 No Personal Insults
No message which contains unnecessary profanity or personal
insults shall be entered into any of the MagickNet echos. Only
one warning will be issued to any violator. (If you wish to
continue to insult each other, please use personal FidoNet mail.)
This includes messages in the MUNDANE echo.
3.8 Voice Number for all sysops must be on file with both the
Coordinators Everybody who wishes to carry these nodes on their system
must leave a voice telephone number either with Paul Seymour (301/9) or Russ
Anderson (104/11) These numbers will remain confidential if you desire,
but you MUST BE REACHABLE VIA VOICE in case of problems.
4. Enforcement
If a user of any bulletin board system or point operator
under a Fidonet node naively violates one of these rules, it is the
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responsibility of the local sysop to take whatever action is
necessary to prevent it from happening again. In the event the local
sysop is unaware of the violation, the coordinator will notify him or her.
If the sysop of the local node does NOT take such action, or
is the person responsible for the violation, then the coordinator will
request that system to leave the MagickNet echos at once. If it does
not, then the coordinator will request of the system by which it is linked into
the MagickNet echos that they cease to deliver messages to or accept
messages from that system, and it will be forcibly exiled from the echos.
Anyone who knowingly provides a "feed" to a sysop who has been exiled
from the MagickNet echos will suffer a like fate. Likewise, if the exiled
system's feed refuses to cut the link, the link above the feed will be cut
- as high up as is necessary to successfully exile the offending node.
In all but the most obvious and gross of cases, the coordinator(s)
will, AT THEIR OPTION, seek a consensus, or at least an overwhelming
majority, of the sysops in the MagickNet echos before taking drastic
action.
If this seems harsh, it needs to be pointed out that until and
unless the International FidoNet Association and/or the FidoNet
Co-ordinators change the rules, this is the ONLY means available to
keep order within an echo conference.
5. The Coordinators
From its earliest beginnings, the Magick Conference has been
co-ordinated and moderated by Brad Hicks from his BBS, WeirdBase at
1:100/523 (314-389-9973). As of this date, Brad no longer coordinates all
three echos. The distribution of the echoes is coordinated by Paul
Seymour (301/9) [(505) 883-7418 Voice], and the administrative moderation
(Topic Cop) will be done jointly by Russ Anderson and Amergin O'Kai of
104/11.
6. Revision History
6.1 Version 1.0
Original document issued 1 Mar 88.
6.2 Version 1.1
Revised on 16 Jun 88. Definition of METAPHYSICAL echo
(section 2.3) clarified. Topology (section 6) updated and PC-Pursuit
markings added. Revision history (section 6 and subsequent)
inserted before the topology list. Page numbers added.
6.3 Version 2.0
Revised to take effect 1 May, 1990 to reflect the new
distribution and topology of the network dmanded by Brad Hicks taking a much
needed break. MAG-POL.TXT v2.0 Effective Date: 01 May 90 Page 5 of 5
7. The Topology
The following list are the known ACTIVE feeds in place as of
4/28/90.
PLEASE HELP KEEP IT UP TO DATE!
301/9 The Mountain Oracle ABQ, NM
|
------19/5 Drumright Drumright, OK (9600)
|
------308/60 Casa De La Luz Alamogordo, NM (9600 BAUD HUB)
| |
| |------109/120 TIDMAT Alexandria, VA (9600) PCP
|
------101/192 NPI Lynn, Ma. PCP
|
------102/922 Cassandra News Lakeview Terrace, Ca. PCP
| |
| |--------102/862 Tahuti Net Los Angeles, Ca.
| |--------102/??? Mysteria Tijunga, Ca.
|
------104/11 Dragonfriend's Place Denver CO. (ADMIN. HUB) PCP
| |
| |-------104/610 The 8th Sea Northglen, CO.
|
------114/29 Deus Ex Machina Phoenix, AZ. PCP
|
------124/4214 Chrysallis Dallas, Tx PCP
|
------125/13 Alt-Net NAPA, CA.
|
------128/50 The Crystal Cave Widefield, Co.
|
------280/311 Gates of Delerium Kansas City, MO. (9600) PCP
| |
| |--------280/64
| |--------280/901
|
------377/5 Liberty BBS Tampa, FL. PCP
|
------382/7 Black Ice Austin Tx
PCP indicates PC Pursuitable