Q. It's been over a month and I still haven't been activated,
If you don't want members here, then that's fine by me.
A. Hopefully, with the new software, this will no longer be a problem.
Unfortunately the Site Admin used to get about 400 spam emails a day from "bots" (roving self-actualized scripts which travel like a virus, starting at legitimate sites in many cases, such as Google, but then taking on a "life" of their own and registering at sites, sending emails, etc.) and hacker/crackers (script kiddies with nothing better to do, primarily).
With that volume of junk emails, (no the site admin does NOT need a bigger schwanza or a better looking knockoff watch or wish to help swindle a Nigerian bank or someone to send spams out for him, or if he does, he is not admitting it or replying to any of the emails) it should be understandable that unfortunately, some babies get thrown out with the bathwater.
Sadly, some valid emails got deleted by mistake and once they did, there was no way of recovering them to see what was actually inside. This results in you feeling neglected, when in fact, the Site Admin would in most cases welcome you quite strongly as a member, if he only knew you had applied.
So be the bigger hearted and better person. Admit you are dealing with a potential idiot at our end, (driven crazy by the "bots") and send us another email. In the topic header for the email include the phrase "ILA West Registration" to help us spot it, or at least a header including the word "Locksmith" in some form. That way, maybe, just maybe, it won't get accidentally deleted.
But if you have not heard from us within a few days, repeat the process.
We also travel a lot, so sometimes miss emails because we are on the road, and end up with several days worth of spambot emails to contend with, making it even easier for us to mess up. Other times we may be on the road and just not able to get email.
For example, we recently were at ALOA in Dallas and our hotel (which was not the convention hotel) was upgrading the wireless connection, putting us out of touch for (1) travel time both ways and (2) the week we were there. The Site Admin still works two day jobs and when we returned from ALOA, he found out the Dalai Lama was visiting a week early (no, it was not a personal visit to bless the Site Admin, though he probably needs it) and the Philadelphia Eagles (Go, Eagles!) training camp had more special needs as well, tying him up for nearly an extra full week of double shifts.
Shifts happen. Give us another chance. We might do just as badly, but we might not.
Q. I am a member. Am I permitted to create threads with links to information in them?
A. Not only permitted, but encouraged to do so. The moderators and Administrator have provided a wealth of information already but there is a vast amount still missing. Just please try to post it under the appropriate topic header. Otherwise we will have to move it, and it will then look as if WE provided it instead of you. We don't want that!
Q. Can I create new Topic Headers?
A. No. Only the Site Administrator can. But if you have a topic you think needs added, please post the suggestion in the "Suggestions" topic area, and it will be seriously considered. Usually we will add it if it is valid, and not spam related.
Q. I am a manufacturer's rep or a wholesaler or distributor. Am I welcome here and am I able to post threads to our own information on-line as a sort of advertisement, and is there a fee for doing so?
A. Whew! Three questions in one. The answers are "Yes.", "Yes.", and "Not yet?"
Yes, you are more than welcome here. Yes, you can post threads to your own info, even including off-site images. No, there is no fee for doing so in the thread areas under the appropriate topics headers. If, however, you want a banner ad at the top or bottom of a page or on the login screen, there would be a fee for that, if we were able to accept them. Right now, we are using a free forum, and do not have or control that privilege. If this becomes a permanent forum, we will need to purchase that ability (and several others) from the site owner. This is still a temporary site, pending its response from our potential market.
Q. I am a member of the NYAIL or ILA and either cannot view or cannot respond to the topic header reserved for members. What should I do?
A. Fooled you. Unlike its predecessor, we built no such space on here, because it remained unused on the old site after four years. But if you find you want it and can garner some degree of support for it, we will build it for you.
Q. I am a member of ALOA or a regional or local Locksmiths Association and would like to see a members only area here for us as well. How can I do that?
A. Post under Suggestions, and it will most likely be reviewed and approved. Remember that the Site Admin teaches all across the US, so a response is not always as prompt as we might wish it were. But if your organization is suitable, and not just a hobby lockpicker group or equivalent, it will most likely be approved. But if it remains inactive for a long period of time, it will be taken down again.
Q. I am a locksmithing student who wants to become an in-house locksmith. Am I permitted here?
A. If you are a student or Apprentice enrolled in "a course we recognize" you are generally welcome here. We recognize the authority of state laws where they exist, however, and some topics may not be accessible to you, based largely on those situations that might violate one or more of such laws.
Q. I am a commericial mainstream locksmith who acts as a de facto in-house locksmith for one or more customer/clients, helping them to manage their keying systems. Am I permitted here?
Yes. We recognize "de facto" in-house positions such as yours. There is a difference between that and someone who basically comes in as a one shot deal and walks away from the job entirely when the initial work is done. We respect you for the care you bring to the system itself. However, this is not an Institutional site. We are open to all professional Locksmiths. We just have more to offer those who do institutional work as a primary part of their daily jobs.
Q. I am a mainstream Locksmith who currently does not do any form of Institutional work. Am I permitted here?
A. The answer is "Yes, absolutely" but we do ask that you show respect for the forum and its institutional members(and we ask they treat you with respect as well). Some commercial and residential Locksmiths do not understand the Institutional Locksmith and we want to foster growth in that understanding. However, some are also so independent that they show rudeness toward that which they do not understand, and that will not be permitted here. Be a good member and you will always be welcome here.
Q. I am a tradesman in a non-locksmithing position who wants to become an in-house locksmith. Am I permitted here?
A. This is a tough one, because we want to keep the forum focused on locksmiths, but we recognize that many of our members started just like you are. What we ask is that you simply get either an in-house locksmith or a facilities manager to vouch for you or send the admin an email or pm (marked mp on our links) stating your intent in joining. As with the locksmithing student, there may be topics that are not immediately acessible to you, especially in locksmith licensed states.
Q. I am not a locksmith but I manage one or more of them. Am I welcome here?
A. Absolutely. Several of our topic areas are geared toward your informational needs. There may be some topic areas where you are not permitted for security reasons, but we try to be reasonable, and if you feel you should have access to a particular topic that you do not, email the Admin staff and we will discuss it with you. Exceptions can be made where it seems reasonable to do so.
Q. I am not a locksmith but I play one on TV. Am I welcome here?
A. No. Sorry, Charlie, only the best toons swim in these waters.
Q. I am not a Locksmith but I am a hobby lockpicker. Am I welcome here?
A. No. Short and sweet, this is a business forum. You have an interesting hobby but it has nothing to do with us, nor do we support it here. Please leave quietly.
Q. Do you do background checks and why or why not?
A. Most of our members will already have been through a background check through their employers or the associations. Those are permitted under the laws of most states. Joining a discussion forum, however, does not meet the "need" requirements of most states, and would be a violation of your privacy under several laws. We always seek to operate in a lawful way, while remaining cognizant of the security needs our information itself demands.
Q. Are there any types of questions/answers specifically NOT permitted?
A. Yes, specific information on utility key codes and their relative bitting, for example, can be requested, but no posting of responses should occur. Instead, answers should be sent by email or telephone, wherever you are comfortable with the level of security involved.
Questions related to automotive code or PIN by VIN are inappropriate in these forums entirely, and will be removed immediately upon discovery. We ask you avoid posting them in the first place.
Q. How do I upload images or pictures to accompany my posts?
A. Technically, you cannot, because our software, due to server limitations, does not support that. However, what you CAN do is use the img command tags with the URL of the image sandwiched directly between them with no spaces. If the photo or image is not on another machine, we suggest you use Image Shack to store the images on. They do not request any information about you or any registration, though they retain the right to remove offensive images and refer them to the appropriate authorities. Their URL is:
http://www.imageshack.us/
Q. I have been banned. What now?
A. WOW. It takes a lot to be banned. Usually the admin staff treats the problem posts rather than the person who posted them! But if you actually exceeded the rules that far, the good news is it is probably temporary.
1st Ban: One week to cool off
2nd Ban: Two weeks to cool off and think about it this time
3rd Ban: One Month as a final warning. Next time you are "Outta here".
Please don't put us in that position. The rules here come down to one simple statement: It is a business forum and you should behave in a traditional business-like manner.
Q. I notice a lot of the author names I see on Lounging Lizard Publishing are amongst the moderators or Administrators of this site. Are the sites connected?
A. The answer is both yes and no. Your observation is correct. However, there is no fee for this site, and very little advertising. It is provided as a benefit to the Locksmithing Community. If you look on other forums for Locksmiths, you will see many of us are members there as well. You will see we are active in various Locksmith Associations also. The books we sell and the classes we teach help us cover the costs associated with the various memberships and the costs of running this site. So while they are not directly connected, there is a strong link between the two.
Q. Why does the Site Administrator tend to finish his posts with two spaces and a dot?
A. Contrary to popular opinion it is not just a lingering period from a long lost sentence in an edited thread. He just hates when posts run to the bottom of the window, and thus adopted the old Radioman's habit of a signoff code, to create some "white space" in his posts.
Q. If that is the case, why sometimes are there more than one?
A. THOSE are lingering dots from an edited thread...
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