Table of Contents

I.	Introduction
II.	Rules of the Channel
III.	Help Resources
IV.	Pipe Help
V.	Conclusion

I. Introduction

Welcome to #Pipes, the premier place to chat about pipes, tobacco, smoking and collecting on the Internet. VicVixvi originally founded #Pipes on the DALnet IRC Network in January, 1996. He started this channel at the request of several alt.smokers.pipes regulars who wanted a place to chat in real time, to learn more about pipes, and make good friends over the Internet. Today, we continue that tradition on SorceryNet. Although you may find people on the channel at any time, the busiest period is usually 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Eastern US time. #Pipes chat is only available on the SorceryNet IRC network. (See SorceryNet link below for a list of the servers if you don't know them.)
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II. Rules of the Channel

Unlike many Internet venues, the #Pipes channel is actively managed by channel operators (@). Consider #Pipes your pipe club with charter members, appointed officials, and general membership. The founders (or charter members) establish the rules for the channel. They, and the channel operators appointed by them (those nicks prefaced by an "@") protect the channel and maintain order by enforcing the rules that follow in this document. They also help those participants who have questions or problems; always with the primary objective of maintaining a friendly atmosphere where everyone can enjoy chatting about pipes, tobacco, and other related subjects.


A. Joining the group:

There are no formal procedures to become a #Pipes regular. Just show up and have fun! To protect you, your nick, and the channel, it is recommended that you register your nick with NickServ. (More on this in the "IRC Tutorial".)

B. Channel Rules:

The first rule is to have fun and enjoy the channel -- but not at the expense of others. If you have questions as to what is appropriate behavior, ask a channel operator. His/Her job includes helping users as well as managing the channel. One of the best ways to understand channel norms is to listen and observe but we also hope you join in the discussion. We expect everyone to act as a gentleman or lady, and you should expect to be treated as such in return. In addition, there are a few hard and fast rules:

1.) No promotion of illegal drug use.

2.) This is an adult channel. The subject matter and chat are geared toward those over eighteen (18) years old -- Channel Operators are advised to protect those who are under-age from matters that are not legal or proper for them. People who are under-age will not be allowed to solicit, buy, or in any way obtain tobacco on this channel.

3.) Simultaneous connection to sex-related, drug-related, warez-related (or other questionable and/or illegal) channels is strictly prohibited. This is a hard and fast rule. If you fail to comply with this policy, you will be warned, kicked, and potentially banned from the channel if bad behavior persists.

4.) No advertising of other channels, competing or otherwise.

5.) No bots, other than those belonging to the Founder (GeneVann), or his assigns.

6.) There IS no rule Number Six.

7.) No clones are allowed. (This describes the phenomenon of one person being connected with two nicks/connections simultaneously.)

8.) In general, this is not a business channel. But, as with any group, there is always some swapping and selling of goods to be expected. Neither this channel, nor its Administrators, directly condone or claim any responsibility for any commerce which takes place on-channel or as a result of relationships formed between channel participants.

9.) Just about anything that is of good taste is acceptable as a topic of conversation on-channel. To be a good topic, a majority of the current participants on #Pipes should be interested in it. If it is something that only pertains to one or two of the participants currently in #Pipes, those participants should then take the conversation about that particular topic to a private message window or DCC chat.

10.) No text flooding or repeating. No excessive use of colors and sounds.

11.) By its very nature, IRC is live conversation and interaction. Adult debate is welcomed and encouraged. However, good debate introduces varied theories and "what-ifs" into the conversation, and can be easily taken out of context and misinterpreted if taken to other forums. SO ... conversations that take place in #Pipes STAY in #Pipes. We know your mother taught you well enough about gossip and third-hand stories when you were young, and this rule should go without saying, but we thought it would be a good idea to mention it anyway. Violaters will be dealt with most harshly.


C. Channel Operators:

1.) Founder. BigJack, GeneVann, pipeguy are the founders of our channel. The founders own this (and other) SorceryNet channels and they make the rules regarding #Pipes. This is not an open forum where you may say what you will.

2.) MiniFounder. There is one (1) MiniFounder who is active on the channel, donkeynut. MiniFounders may add and remove SOPs, and serve at the pleasure of the Founders. Violation of channel rules may result in revocation of MiniFounder priveleges, or stronger action if deemed necessary.

3.) SOP or Super OP. There are three (3) SOPs who are active on the channel. They are Hanszoo, JillVann, and PipeStem. SOPs control the channel, have the power to add and remove AOPs, and serve at the pleasure of the Founders. Violation of channel rules may result in revocation of SOP priveleges, or stronger action if deemed necessary.

4.) AOP or Auto OP. There are many AOPs on #Pipes, who manage the channel. These channel members are identified by having a ‘@’ symbol in front of their nicks. AOPs have the power to kick and/or ban users from the channel, and serve at the pleasure of the Founders and SOPs. Violation of channel rules may result in revocation of AOP priveleges, or stronger action if deemed necessary.

NOTE: All channel operators are put in place specifically to help users with any questions/problems/comments. Please feel free to contact anyone with an '@' in private for anything you might need.


D. Removal from the Channel:

As with any club, your membership is at the pleasure of the Founders. Newcomers are always enthusiastically welcomed and encouraged. General norms of conduct are established by the founders and then enforced by the operators (@). What is viewed as satisfactory conduct may vary depending on the situation. Under some circumstances, with certain users in the channel, the conversation may take on a more adult atmosphere. Under other circumstances, the first cuss word or off-color remark might get a warning, followed by a kick in the event of a second occurrence or unaltered behavior.

Persons who unintentionally disrupt the channel will be asked to modify their behavior and if they don’t, an operator will remove them by kicking them off the channel and even banning them from the channel if deemed necessary by that particular OP. Intentional abuse will result in a quick kick/ban. Bans may be temporary or permanent, depending on the situation and the discretion of the channel operators. In general, if you behave and comport yourself as a lady or gentleman, if you have a desire to learn, teach, or talk about pipes, and like to chat, you can expect to be a well-regarded member and welcome member of our group.
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III. Help Resources

The more you learn about IRC, the more you will enjoy your chat experience. Below are some basic pointers as well as resources to further your learning. Additionally, feel free to ask channel operators for help. It’s their job.

A. IRC Commands
Very basic IRC commands (such as registering a nick with NickServ) are located in our "IRC Tutorial" document here.

B. mIRC Help
mIRC has a good help feature located in the button bar at the top of your program. It explains all of the on-board commands that are available to you. Familiarity with your particular client (mIRC) will greatly enhance your enjoyment of IRC generally and #Pipes specifically.

C. NickServ
NickServ provides SorceryNet with service for issues concerning nicks. A full listing of the nickserv commands can be viewed by using the command "/nickserv help" in your status window. Or, at the following website: http://www.sorcery.net/help/services/nickserv

D. MemoServ
MemoServ provides SorceryNet with service allowing users with registered nicks to send short memos to one another, even when recipients are offline. The basic commands for send, read, list and delete can be viewed by using the command, "/memoserv help" in your status window. Or, at the following website: http://www.sorcery.net/help/services/memoserv

E. ChanServ
ChanServ provides a suite of commands to allow the channel operators to administer the channel. If you are interested in these commands, they can be viewed by using the command, "/chanserv help" in your status window. While they are not particularly of interest to the general public, all channel operators need to be fully conversant in these commands. If you would rather not use "/chanserv help", you may view all commands at the following website: http://www.sorcery.net/help/services/chanserv

F. Good Websites
1.) SorceryNet. http://www.sorcery.net/ is the home page for all of SorceryNet. A must-read for the serious SorceryNet user.

2.) General IRC Help. http://www.irchelp.org is a really super page with explanations from the most basic to the most complex commands.
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IV. Pipe Help

A. Pipes Websites http://www.pipes.org
This is the premier place to start your search for smoking resources on the web. It is the repository for a very good Frequently Asked Questions document, which is an especially valuable resource for newcomers to pipe smoking.

B. Pipe Smoke Ring http://shadow.zedcor.com/bigjack/Pipes/pipesmoking.html
BigJack has established a great webring for smoking related sites. If you have a website that pertains to pipe smoking -- join the ring. If not, enjoy the pipe sites linked together for your surfing ease.

C. Pipeguy: http://www.pipeguy.com
Check out pipeguy’s library for some tremendous articles on subjects of interest to pipe smokers and collectors.
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V. Conclusion

#Pipes is a great place to meet folks with similar interests, make friends, learn a bunch about pipes, and generally have a swell time. But this is just the start. Being in the #Pipes group only gets better when you go to pipe shows or visit a town where there are "#Pipers". We always try to meet and smoke a pipe together. Enjoy your stay here and remember that you’ll only get out of it what you put into it.
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