Systemspace Network List Network Enhancement Idea 12 Quintuplicate 26 August 2021 [Replaces NEIs: 6, 9] INTRODUCTION TO NETWORK ENHANCEMENT IDEAS 0. Changelog 1. July 28, 2021 (NEI 6): - There are now two secretaries, as agreed. - NEIs are sent out every Sunday unless circumstances require an expedited distribution at their authors' request. - NEIs now have the option of being written in plaintext or Enhanced Text Format. - The chief and deputy secretary both host NEIs. One version is official for plaintext NEIs, and the other is official for ETF NEIs. Plaintext NEIs are sent to the chief, ETF ones to the deputy. - The secretaries have the power to correct spelling and grammar, without changing the meaning. - Changes are made in phraseology. 2. August 26, 2021 (NEI 12): - Email address added. - Mandatory rotation process for secretaries removed. SSN-l should be free to choose the best people for the job. - Secretaries now have power to make editorial changes to NEIs without changing the meaning. - Header requirements are clarified. - Language is changed. I. SSN-l The Systemspace Network List (SSN-l@yandex.com) consists of all who are interested in reviving the Systemspace Network. Any member of SSN-l may at any time add any other person to it. It makes decisions by consensus. II. Network Enhancement Ideas Information and ideas are imparted on SSN-l primarily through Network Enhancement Ideas (NEIs, pronounced "nays"). (Think RFCs, PEPs, or what-have-you.) Other than trying to be short and readable, they have no content requirements. III. Coordinating NEIs Two secretaries keep track of NEIs: a chief and a deputy secretary. Their positions are determined by consensus every 100th NEI. If no one is willing to be a secretary, the current ones remain in office. Quintuplicate and Yori are the current chief and deputy secretary. The secretaries are responsible for: - Making NEIs available to all members every weekend, unless their authors request, and circumstances require, they be expedited - Numbering and dating NEIs - Indexing NEIs every 100 NEIs, and cumulating the index - Correcting spelling and grammar in NEIs submitted to them, and making other editorial changes, without changing the meaning Each secretary will host the official version of either plaintext or ETF NEIs, and an unofficial version of NEIs whose official versions are hosted by the other. IV. Format of a NEI A NEI must have the following header: 0 Systemspace Network List 1 Network Enhancement Idea # 2 Author 3 Date 4 TITLE Notes (see line numbers): 1. The chief secretary will number your NEI. 2. Username(s) of the author(s). May be "Anon" if you don't wish to disclose your identity. 3. The chief secretary will date your NEI in European "day month year" form. Between lines 3 and 4, the secretaries may add headnotes. 4. This must be in ALL CAPS. If you choose to write it in ETF, this must be preceded by a # and a white space. You may write a NEI in plaintext or as formatted text. If you choose the latter option, you must mark it up in ETF (see NEI 2). Send plaintext NEIs to the chief secretary and ETF NEIs to the deputy secretary, who will send them to the chief. A NEI must be at least one sentence long, and may be reproduced at will unless it is explicitly stated to be copyrighted. A NEI should be cited as "NEI #" except where this citation would not guide the reader to the source. V. Subjects Covered by NEIs NEIs are the primary means of exchanging ideas, but not the only means. Since the NEI series is intended to be of general interest to SSN-l, and to advance the SSN, personal and private quarrels, long-winded arguments without new points or evidence, and simple comments on and replies to other NEIs are inappropriate as NEIs. Beyond this restriction, there are no others. Proposals for technical protocols, drafts of rules, and philosophical discussions are all acceptable, as are brief questions and statements, if their authors believe they deserve the attention of all members of SSN-l and think they will improve the SSN. In time, these standards (or lack thereof) may tighten. This is natural and acceptable. We all need a small group to bounce ideas off each other. Right now, SSN-l is that small group. If and when we get bigger, it may not be.