Editing Master Ban

The Master Ban list is an administrative tool used to prevent abuse of the BZFlag server network.

==Overview==
The master ban list is an opt-out system for all public game servers that downloads an additional ban file. This ban file contains the static IPs of a small number of players who have been disruptive to the gaming network as a whole.

==Usage==
A public server does not have to do anything to use the Master Ban list, it is loaded automatically at server start for any server that uses the '''-public''' command line option. Servers that do not wish to use the Master Ban list can add the '''-noMasterBanlist''' option and [[BZFS]] will not attempt to load the list.

==Players on the Master Ban List==
The players on the Master Ban list were added because they engaged in disruptive behavior across a large number of servers, or attempted to disrupt the global network services (such as the [[Global Registration]] System, [[List Server]], or [http://my.bzflag.org/bb Forums]). All members of the Master Ban list have static IP addresses. No user with a dynamic IP address will be added to the Master Ban list, as the possibility of banning an innocent user is too great.  An exception to this rule for single addresses in dynamic ranges may be made temporarily during periods of severe disruption at the discretion of the developers.

===Behavior for which you can be Masterbanned (i.e. "Disruptive Behavior" above)===
* Cheating on multiple game servers
* Spamming inappropriate (including, but not exclusively, commercial advertisement, hateful, vulgar, or racist) messages on multiple game servers
* Cracking attempts, denial of service attacks, or exploitation of vulnerabilities against multiple game servers
* Cracking attempts, denial of service attacks, or exploitation of vulnerabilities against network resources (i.e. List server, Bulletin boards, IRC channel, Global authentication servers, Wiki)

===Behavior for which you cannot be Masterbanned===
* Cheating on, attacking, or exploiting a single game server.
** Rationale: fabrication of evidence is too easy (and therefore, possibility of being "framed" or "set up" is too high)
* Violating server rules other than cheating or spamming on game servers (e.g. language violations).
** Rationale: it is not the purpose of the master ban list to enforce local server rules.  Bans for this behavior should be handled at the server level
* Violating rules on network resources (i.e. spamming, engaging in personal attacks, or using foul language on the bulletin boards or IRC channels)
** Rationale: if the violations you committed are not related to playing and you do not pose a hazard to the servers, you should be allowed to continue to play.  Note, however, that you will still be banned from whatever resources you have abused and potentially others that we feel you are likely to abuse.

==Master Ban List Management==
Write access to the Master Ban list is limited to developers and community members with [[BZFlag CVS|CVS]] commit access. The list is stored in CVS for history tracking. All additions to the list are handled via the CVS system, so they are logged for review. The Master Ban list can be viewed at http://www.bzflag.org/master-bans.txt . All changes to the list can be viewed at http://bzflag.cvs.sourceforge.net/bzflag/admin/master-bans.txt?view=log .

===Getting Off the Master Ban List===
Users who are on the list and feel they should not be, or would like to be removed, should attempt to contact the project administrators as soon as possible. They should be willing to discuss how they got on the list and what they can do to get off the list. If they are guilty of the actions that got them on the list, they should be ready to explain why the administration staff should remove them from the list. They should also remember that playing is a privilege and not a right. The administration staff is willing to discuss Master Ban issues with anyone who is willing to discuss the matter in a civil manner.

===Getting Someone On the Master Ban List===
The list is only intended for network wide abusers with static IP addresses. In all other cases local server bans will take care of the abuser. Comments from server owners are generally the only ones considered when reporting a master ban candidate. Players that feel a user should be master banned should take the issue up with the owners of the servers on which the disruptive behavior has been observed.

==See also==
* [[Ban]]
* [[BZFS Command Line Options]]

==External links==
* [http://www.bzflag.org/master-bans.txt Master Ban List]
* [http://bzflag.cvs.sourceforge.net/bzflag/admin/master-bans.txt?view=log Master Ban Change Log]

[[Category:Server Security]]