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The Bone Network is a simple datagram dispatching system based on a client-server model.

BoneClient is an instant messaging client written upon the Bone SDK. The SDK facilitates the use of the Bone datagram protocol in proprietary Microsoft Windows applications. Applications utilizing the SDK must incorporate a GUI or add the Windows Message Loop. While officially designed and maintained for C applications, the Bone SDK has been ported by third parties to Visual Basic and Delphi programming languages.

Since Bone communication is asynchronous, Bone Handles are used to keep track of one-time connections to and from the central server. A Bone Handle is opened from the time a user logs in to process transactions until the application or desired connectivity ceases. Once the application disconnects from the Bone Network, a new Bone Handle must be created for the new session.

When connected to the Bone Network, any party can send Bone messages, also known as 'datagrams' or 'telegrams', to any other party by addressing them by username. It is not possible for a non-administrative user to block or otherwise constrict the flow of messages between other users on the Bone Network. In addition, messages sent through the Bone Network cannot be securely encrypted and are always passed through the central Bone server. Therefore, it is not suitable for uses requiring high security.

The Bone Network is operated by ImaBot and runs the proprietary BoneServer software on Microsoft Windows. BoneServer supports the designation of a central server administrator who receives privileges for individual user administration, IP bans, username restrictions and the sending of broadcast messages. The server software does not support clustering, load balancing or redundancy. It is designed to support hundreds of users concurrently.

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