Nyx Validation Procedures 12/6/94 1. Do I want to read the rest of this? This is for users who desire to use Nyx "for real" as opposed to the limited "preview" accounts given out via the 'new' login. As mentioned in the document explaining limited accounts, this is the form to fill out if you want access to all the options on the menus, the unix shell, the programming languages, and internet access from Nyx. You almost certainly do, as preview accounts have so little capability they can't even blow their noses. That is, most Nyx users will want this level of access -- nearly all features of Nyx are severely crippled or completely inaccessible without this. However, in the extremely unlikely event that you're happy with the level of access you already have, quit reading now. Many people ask if there's some other way to handle valiation than by doing EXACTLY what this form says. NO. DU's rules. Don't even bother to ask. THERE IS NO WAY TO GET VALIDATED OTHER THAN FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW. Sorry. NOTE this applies *only* to *existing* Nyx users! If for some strange reason you are reading this and haven't yet created yourself a Nyx account, note that you must *first* have an account on Nyx before you can get validated. This form will NOT get you an account; it will only extend the privileges of an existing one. Filling out this form without an account is a waste of your time and mine. (Accounts are free, just log in, it's really simple.) To create one, log in as 'new' to nyx.cs.du.edu, 303-871-3324, and select the 'j'oin option. You MUST have an account PRIOR to applying for full access!! Again, I want to apologize for the headache of all this, but we were forced into it by the extraordinary number of crank users who just couldn't play nicely. I'm sure the world would be a better place in general if there wasn't always a minority to foul things up for the majority. I'm sure 99% of Nyx users are trusthworthy, it's that 1% or less that wreck it. Sorry, but at least we *tried* it the other way -- it just didn't work out. Why? Because Nyx is connected to the Internet, DU must take precautions to ensure only acceptable use of the network and provide accountability in cases of abuse. Nyx was becoming involved in an increasing number of incidents of "spidering" (aka "cracking", what the news media call "hacking"), software piracy, anonymous harrassment of users, etc. To prevent this, we were told to authenticate users -- it was either that or shut Nyx down. We at DU felt that it was better to provide Internet access (with authentication) than not provide net access at all. Thus, your patience and cooperation with these procedures is greatly appreciated. (And, indeed, complaints about it are not going to change it -- getting THIS level of access was the result of several victories in itself.) 2. Can I have even more access? No... If you would like more direct access to the net (slip, uucp, nntp, etc.) I suggest a "real" commercial internet service provider; see 'svc' in the 'comm/net' menu or grab a recent book on the internet. Most charge fairly reasonable rates. Nyx cannot provide these things with our limited resources. See the faq for more reasons why. 3. Ok, ok, so what hoops do I have to jump through? In order to be granted full access to Nyx you must do the following things: A. Read the agreement below; then B. Submit a "valid" *signed* copy of the agreement form below to DU; "valid" means you *must* use one of the following methods: *EITHER* 1. In person: - Print out the form and fill it in; - Run the 'where' option on the 'val' menu to find out where you can go in person (in Denver or elsewhere, e.g., London); - Set up an appointment (if requested) and be prepared to show to show positive identification (driver's license, or other photo ID). [NOTE that you can NOT come down to DU itself for validation! There are places nearby, but NONE on campus.] *OR* 2. By postal mail (not e-mail): - Print out the form and fill it in; - Photocopy a legal, signed, *picture* ID of yourself (pref. driver's lic., passport, etc.); - Then obtain a NOTARIZED SIGNATURE on the form (i.e., you sign it in the presence of a Notary Public, who checks your ID). SEE BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION on this method, how to obtain a notarized signature, what to do in foreign contries, etc. Then mail your original notarized form and ID photo to: Nyx Shell Authorization c/o Andrew Burt Department of Mathematics and Computer Science John Greene Hall University of Denver Denver, Colorado (USA) 80208 [[[Note that's U. of DENVER, *NOT* U. of Colorado!!!]]] *OR* 3. Donation via personal check: Given that a personal check (with YOUR name PRE-PRINTED on it) is a fairly secure means of positive identification, another method of proof of identity is to make a donation via personal check that has your name pre-printed on it. ===> See 'fund' on the main menu for the proper address, ===> whom to make the check out to and other important ===> instructions!!! Note that this is NOT a request for donations -- there are other methods you can use which don't involve sending us any money. If you are considering sending a donation, you should be considering it solely on the merits of the donation itself, and you should read the document on how/why to send a donation. (Currently 'fund' in the main menu. But finish reading this doc first!) For this reason and at DU's request, we cannot accept checks for less than $10. If you decide you would like to send a donation as a means to acquire validation, then you should send the donation AND the filled out form (but no notary/photo ID necessary) to the address given in the donation document (NOT the same address as above!). Follow exactly what it says to do in the donation information document; the clue that you want shell access will be that you sent the form along too. Note, as it says in 'fund', foreign checks are acceptable as long as (a) your name is pre-printed on the check and (b) you write the amount in US dollars, and it is above the minimum amounts stated there; so see 'fund' for details and more important notes. Note that no other form of donation can provide the same proof -- company checks don't identify you, credit card numbers are easy to fake, etc. -- and will NOT suffice. Else: Sorry, DU won't allow Nyx access unless you can do it via one of the above ways. Please don't even ask, we just can't do it! C. Wait. You will log in and find yourself in a validation program explaining what to do when your form has been approved. It may take several weeks to receive access, depending on free time of the volunteers, etc. If you haven't heard back after, say, THREE WEEKS from when you started, use 'feedback' (fb/confidential) to ask what's up. [Asking before that is a waste of everyone's time.] IMPORTANT additional notes on mailing in the form & misc.: Notaries: In the United States, you can find a Notary in many places: most banks offer this service to customers for free, many post offices, most large businesses have employees who are notaries (try the legal department, maybe an accounting department). [By Colorado law, for example, notaries cannot charge more than $2.] In other countries, the procedure may differ; ask at a bank, courthouse, police station, or other legal institution about some form of "guaranteed signature". A U.S. Embassy or similar office should be able to do it. In Canada and possibly other countries a "Commissioner of oaths" or a Justice of the Peace (JP) can do this. In Australia, a JP can do a Statutory Declaration. In the U.K., word has it that a solicitor can do this type of thing; some charge, some do not, and you are advised to call around. [But note, as of 10/93, a user in London is acting as a Nyx validater.] In Italy, allegedly only documents in Italian can be "notarized"; in this case, feel free to translate the document (or ask me for a copy I have), but send both the English and Italian documents (both signed; one notarized). For users from Japan, a certified seal is acceptable. Faxes, e-mail -- Can't do it: Note that a fax will NOT suffice -- you must submit the original notarized form. Another common request is to use an existing internet account to prove who you are -- however, there is no proof that it isn't a stolen account; we used to do this and had to give it up because of this. I.e., you canNOT e-mail or fax your form. Getting the a copy of the form to fill out: It's probably easiest to get the form via the "screen capture" method -- i.e., as an "ascii download" or via the unix "script" command if you have it. If you have another internet account, use the val 'am' option to mail the form to your other account. (If you don't get it within a day or two, figure it bounced, check the address, and try again.) If none of the above work, you can write it out by hand (it's ok to just fill write out the form part, fill in the blanks, write that you agree to the terms stated in the on-line form, and get that notarized, etc. -- that is, you don't have to copy down all the terms & conditions.) If you *absolutely* can't do any of the above (e.g., you're unable to write), use 'fb' (NON-private mode) and ask if some kind soul (in the nyx.help newsgroup) will spend their own money and mail you a copy on paper (but don't count on it!). In-person volunteers *may* have blank forms, but check with them first. Photo ID: For a photo ID, most any government issued ID will suffice that has your picture, signature and your name on it. Driver's license, passport, etc. No ID -- minors, etc.: If you have no ID because you're a minor, then: - Sign the form; - Get your *parent's* NOTARIZED signature below yours (or a donation via parent's pre-printed check, but still have them sign the form too so I know they know, etc.). Your parent's signature (without notary or check) is NOT enough. Multiple pages, envelopes, things that make my life easier: - Please staple multiple pages together (& don't clip out your ID from the photocopy page, leave the full page). - Don't staple checks to the form if you send a donation. - Business size envelopes (& hence forms folded in three) are preferred rather than small envelopes (& heavily folded forms, ugh). - Try to print the form all on one page to save paper. - And just send the form, NOT these instructions. - Make sure you print EXTREMELY clearly on your username -- if I type it in wrong because a 'b' looks like a '6', 'c' like 'e', etc. -- you don't get validated. Printing in caps is encouraged as they're more distinguishable (I realize usernames are lower case, but they're easier to read in caps). Because of the volume of mail I get, these little things make my life easier. Multiple accounts: If you have two accounts (one public and one anon9999), just write both usernames in the username field of the form. One form per PERSON, though, please: If you want to mail a form for you and a spouse, for example, fill out two forms but do not staple them together (I might miss the 2nd page). 4. What is "revalidation" and the password thing? Simply put, it is a method for you to use in the *future* if you lose your account (expires, forget your login password, etc.) and want it back without having to do all this form stuff. It is a reasonably secure way to prove, in the future, that you are who you say you are. Then, if you had shell access but lost it (because your account lapsed due to lack of use or whatever), pick the "revalidation" option in the validation menu (val/r). The basic principle is this: You write down on the form a "revalidation password", something *other* than your Nyx login password, something you are absolutely *positive* you will never forget but nobody else is likely to guess. Then when you want revalidation, you will be asked to supply this. This should prevent anyone from having to send in a form again, etc. Of course, don't tell anyone what this is. It can be anything you want, a word, numbers, phrase, anything you would be able to type in when asked. (It can be something like a social security #, phone#, etc. - things that ordinarily make bad passwords are fine here, since there's no way anyone can really make more than one guess at it. Just make sure you remember it, as I can't possibly tell you what it was later.) Note further that if there is ever a doubt that your account has been broken into, you may be asked on an individual basis to provide this. Do NOT record this "password" ANYWHERE on-line on ANY system EVER. So pick something you know you won't forget (but unguessable)! This "password" will serve as something only you and the system administrator know, making it important to keep it secure from others. Don't use your Nyx password since that could be cracked by various clever guessing programs -- use something you would never use as a login password. Also, do not tell your revalidation password to anyone except the revalidation program. Don't trust any mail or chat request to provide it, even if it looks like it comes from aburt, sysop, etc. Mail can be faked, etc. Don't even trust telephone calls (unless you place the call to me). Don't store your revalidation password on any machine. (I won't, either.) [One exception would be if you received pgp-encrypted mail from me (aburt); my public key is in the file /nyx/lib/valhelpers/README, so it could be proven that I sent the mail; in this case it would be ok to send me back your revalidation password by e-mail, but preferably pgp-encrypted so nobody else could read it (send me your public key as well).] 5. What if I want to remain anonymous on the net? For those who fear persecution, etc. The idea is: You log in as 'new' and it will ask if you want an anonymous account; if yes, you get a username like 'anon0001' instead of 'jsmith'. However, it's still a preview account, and you still have to do this form thing to get access. This means that *I* will know who you are, but nobody else will (unless you tell them!). I agree not to divulge what I know about the true owner of anon0001 *except* to legitimate authorities, i.e., ones with legal permission to know. This means if you break some law, and the FBI, Scotland Yard, etc. asks me who you are (and I can verify it's really them and they have the right to know) then I'll tell them. To be honest, this is no different than a non-anonymous account, as I won't give out info that I was given in confidence anyway; the *only* difference is the username doesn't imply to others who you are. So this anon. account won't be any good for spidering/cracking stuff, just for those who fear persecution if they exercise their right to free speech. It'll be an experiment; it might not work, too. I'm willing to try it. Validation is the same. Indeed, if you want to validate two accounts, a regular ('jsmith') and anonymous one ('anon0001'), just write both usernames in the usercode field on the form. (Note they are treated as a group for problem resolution: If one is used for nasty activity, both get shut off, etc.) Without further ado, here is the agreement (next page; it fits on one page, please try to print it that way to save paper and reduce my paper piles): Agreement (please print *clearly*) !!!NOTE!!! If you don't have a Nyx usercode STOP! you need to get one FIRST then WRITE IT BELOW; a form without an existing nyx usercode will be THROWN AWAY! Log in as 'new' to create one then write it below; DON'T send this form until then! And please print EXTREMELY CLEARLY: forms with unclear usernames are ignored.) 1. Your *EXISTING* usercode on Nyx (e.g., jsmith): ____________________ <<<*** 2. Name: ________________________________________________ 3. Date: __________ 4. Home address: Street: __________________________________ Apt: ___________ City:___________________ State/Country:_________ Zip/Postal code:__________ 5. Home phone: (_____) _____-__________ Work phone: (_____) _____-___________ 6. Employer/School (mark __ if full time student): ___________________________ 7. Job title (or freshman/grade level if school): _____________________________ 8. If you have one: Your "normal" (non-Nyx) internet address, user@full.host.name: ________________________________________ 9. Revalidation "password" (see note for what this is): _______________________ [FILL THIS IN! It is used *later* if you lose your access and want it back. Pick something you will NEVER forget and DIFFERENT from any computer password you use. Divulge it ONLY to the revalidation program.] I understand and agree that: - I am personally liable for all use of my Nyx usercode; - I will not engage in any illegal or legally questionable activities via Nyx, including "spidering" (hacking/cracking), transmitting unapproved copyrighted material (e.g., software, images, audio), harrassing other users (local or remote), etc. -- ask if unsure; - I will use the Internet via Nyx solely for educational and research purposes (note particularly that games and commercial transactions conducted over the Internet may not be acceptable); - I will limit my direct use of Internet from Nyx to the services that Nyx offers (e.g., ftp, telnet) and not add my own without approval from the system administrator; - I will read and abide by NetNews network etiquette when sending any messages from Nyx; - I will cease any given use of Nyx upon request by a Nyx admin (i.e., if a particular use is deemed inappropriate you will quit); - Nyx is not a guaranteed service; it may disappear at any time; I will NOT hold DU liable for any damages I incur through the use or lack of use of Nyx. 10. Your Signature: ____________________ 11. Select Validation method (MUST do EXACTLY per instructions): [ ] Donation: Amount_______ Check#_______ [$10 min, payable to DU -- see 'fund'] [ ] In-Person (validator writes here: ______________) [ ] Notarized below AND photocopy of valid photo ID Subscribed and sworn to before me on ___________ ____________________ Notary Commission expires: _____________________ Notary Public County/State: _________________________________ (seal)