Dear Locksmiths

[Squelchtone]

Ok gentlemen, for those of you who may have links to lp101 bookmarked, I recommend you visit the lp101 home page at http://lockpicking101.com/ and scroll down to see the new sub forum and what each one is for:




As you can see we have the same categories located on the left menu bar, or you can go into them by using the home page.

Here is a link to the new Locksmith area: http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewforum.php?f=41

Nothing is in stone yet, but I think these categories should encompass most of your needs. I will be slowly moving existing posts out of Locksmith Business Info and putting them in their new categories.

Enjoy,
Squelchtone

[Squelchtone]

So what do you members who are locksmiths think so far? You liking the categories? Anything you wish was different or better? I don't want to end up with 50 categories or sub forums, but I'm thinking of making one for auto transponders/programming so it doesnt end up in the Key Machine area unless you'd prefer it there. Your feedback is important to making this place comfortable and useful to your needs.

I'll be working over the holidays on moving existing posts form the old area to the new categories to help fill them in.

Thanks and have a good weekend,
Squelchtone

[globallockytoo]

Jay does a pretty good job of policing ClearStar. Having said that - to join you need to be usually a member of ALOA or SAVTA. This is pretty much on open forum, even the "advanced" forums only require 30 posts or so to join. Having said that --

IF you are going to have a smith only forum, then require credentials to get on it, much like ClearStar. One of above or a local license, where applicable, would be a requirement. If nothing else, proof of being in the business via a tax number, or some other form of acceptable proof that one is in the trade. ANY one of which should be okay.

AS far as hidden, it should be, and not show up until one logs in. Then have much like ClearStar, a general have it it forum, a commercial lock / high security forum, a safe and vault forum to discuss problems with that, an automotive forum for professionals to discuss problems they have run into and talk openly and plainly about that subject, and perhaps just a forum for getting the air out of a problem and letting smiths vent all they want about stuff which really irked them off. A non-lock forum as it was.

Just a suggestion.

Sinifar

CSN is the biggest joke forum for locksmiths online. The owner/operator runs an antique forum and the members are heavily moderated. If someone says something against a comment or negative in any way, they are banned or kicked off. No refunds and just plain old fascism. I wouldnt touch it with a 10 foot pole.

My 2c.

[deralian]

A couple of comments. 1:someone mentioned sharing stories, I bet we all have some good ones. I do understand the desire to protect people's privacy.

2: someone complained about the requirements to gain access to protected content. Yes it seems time consuming and difficult but there aren't very many good options to decide if someone should get more access.

3: why join? I think it's interesting the things you don't learn or try when becoming a locksmith. I think reading these hobbyist forums and the creativity here is very inspiring.

[Squelchtone]

A couple of comments. 1:someone mentioned sharing stories, I bet we all have some good ones. I do understand the desire to protect people's privacy.

Thanks for taking the time to comment. The Locksmith Lounge has been created for this purpose. A general place for locksmiths to share stores and talk about everyday life as a locksmith.

[hag3l3]

I personally think that the advanced sector should be broken into tighter security. LEVELS OF SECURITY. i am not in the advanced sector, but i for one am glad it is there. I agree with squelchtone that WE AS PROFESSIONAL LOCKSMITHS must do our part to insure security of information. the fact of whether or not i must jump through hoops, or await a certain period of time in order to access particular information is perfectly agreeable to me. the complaining and discomfort others feel, shows to me that security of information is not part of there concern. and it really should be. after all it is the knowledge that is the bread and butter of the industry. to complain about limiting access really show poor character traits.
when it comes to security of potentially harmful information, the more difficult it is for illicit individuals to obtain, the better of our industry will be. its just my personal opinion.
just wanted to share. it is sad to see my fellow professional locksmiths complaining about being inconvenienced to accessing the very information that Should be secured. sad, very sad.........
a very reasonable way to handle this would be to create an area where only those with proper locksmith credentials could have free range of information.
yet again, who would be willing to go through a credential process? if one is frustrated at how this site has tried to maintain a certain modicum of security to protect the public, perhaps one is in the wrong field?

[billdeserthills]

I personally think that the advanced sector should be broken into tighter security. LEVELS OF SECURITY. i am not in the advanced sector, but i for one am glad it is there. I agree with squelchtone that WE AS PROFESSIONAL LOCKSMITHS must do our part to insure security of information. the fact of whether or not i must jump through hoops, or await a certain period of time in order to access particular information is perfectly agreeable to me. the complaining and discomfort others feel, shows to me that security of information is not part of there concern. and it really should be. after all it is the knowledge that is the bread and butter of the industry. to complain about limiting access really show poor character traits.
when it comes to security of potentially harmful information, the more difficult it is for illicit individuals to obtain, the better of our industry will be. its just my personal opinion.
just wanted to share. it is sad to see my fellow professional locksmiths complaining about being inconvenienced to accessing the very information that Should be secured. sad, very sad.........
a very reasonable way to handle this would be to create an area where only those with proper locksmith credentials could have free range of information.
yet again, who would be willing to go through a credential process? if one is frustrated at how this site has tried to maintain a certain modicum of security to protect the public, perhaps one is in the wrong field?

Actually I was frustrated because I had made the required number of posts times 10 and I still was being denied access to the advanced
I understand now that it was simply the forums way to safeguard security. In fact I am at times still surprised that I have been allowed
access and that makes me believe that Squelchtone is an extremely fair moderator, which has certainly been echoed by other members
Thank You again Squelchtone for overlooking my faults to date

[YouLuckyFox]

@Hag313 & Bill: +1, if we did not have an advanced section and everything was up for discussion on the public forums, I would not feel comfortable talking about advanced topics, knowing that some young laddie-buck could be using my posts to commit acts of villainy.

[MBI]

I agree that there will always be some members who will feel more comfortable talking about certain subjects if it's in a limited-access area. Taking that away will alienate some members. Heck, I'm a moderator here and I own another picking forum so you might think I'm pretty liberal about "freedom of information", but there are some topics regarding lockpicking and bypass which I won't discuss in an open forum, and a few I won't even discuss in a limited-access area.

Bill, even though they weren't directed at me, I appreciate your positive comments. We've tried to revamp things and make the advanced forum application process as impartial as possible. It's not a popularity contest, it's a matter of whether someone has fulfilled the criteria to apply, which hopefully gives us enough posts to review to get an idea of their character to help ensure that people with ill intent don't have access. It's not a perfect system and I'm sure some folks slip through who may not have the best intentions, but I believe it does week out most of the lazy criminals who likely wouldn't have the patience to go to the effort of putting on a false face for long enough to meet the 50 days/posts requirement.

[lockkiller1984]

Move Automotive to the Locksmithing area. Some of us Locksmiths are too busy running calls to meet the requirements of the "Advanced" area.

That would make it all available to anyone who visits the forum. What ever happened to protecting the public trust? Some of the info there may make it too easy for someone without any training to get into a car or start a car, and that's not the goal here. Perhaps I will rename Advanced to Restricted Topics.

My feeling is that those of you who are too busy to contribute enough to the forum to have enough posts to join Advanced, are not going to contribute in the Advanced areas either and that area isn't there as a free resource to leech from. Members are expected to contribute content as well.

Thanks,
Squelchtone

i think the internet world is so open it is proven there is no point doing this. you close a leak here and it will leak somewhere else. al the information is online and available for the ones who search . somebody with bad intentions will find where he is looking for anyway. look at youtube in videos about car openings. Public trust and internet don't mix .the only option is screening people and let them do a skype check and send a photo copy of there id's, also proof that he or she is a locksmith .

[billdeserthills]

Move Automotive to the Locksmithing area. Some of us Locksmiths are too busy running calls to meet the requirements of the "Advanced" area.

That would make it all available to anyone who visits the forum. What ever happened to protecting the public trust? Some of the info there may make it too easy for someone without any training to get into a car or start a car, and that's not the goal here. Perhaps I will rename Advanced to Restricted Topics.

My feeling is that those of you who are too busy to contribute enough to the forum to have enough posts to join Advanced, are not going to contribute in the Advanced areas either and that area isn't there as a free resource to leech from. Members are expected to contribute content as well.

Thanks,
Squelchtone

i think the internet world is so open it is proven there is no point doing this. you close a leak here and it will leak somewhere else. al the information is online and available for the ones who search . somebody with bad intentions will find where he is looking for anyway. look at youtube in videos about car openings. Public trust and internet don't mix .the only option is screening people and let them do a skype check and send a photo copy of there id's, also proof that he or she is a locksmith .

What is also true is anyone with a big enough drill or hammer or crowbar can open virtually anything,
sometimes the important thing is not the opening, but the manner with which that item was opened
Also it's nice to know that if I want to discuss opening an electronic safe with a 9vt battery and a couple of
wires, I don't need to reveal that knowledge to the world at large, just a few (relatively) specialists. I'm not
trying to wreck a safe companies reputation, just make an easier way known to a select few people.