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Updating the FAQ?

I just got mail from "Nick Boalch, one of the *.answers moderators " about the alt.locksmithing FAQ. He noticed that it hasn't been posted to alt.answers/news.answers in at least 90 days :-) and was wondering about it.

As everyone knows, it has been available at

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it is also available at ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/faqs/ under the name locksmithing-faq

But it hasn't been updated in a while.

Nick's request makes me interested in doing a revision. I've asked him about posting it - but we don't have to wait on that. Indra.com is a great hosting spot, and I still have an account there to revise it and I can post it here.

So - what do you think? Vote with your fingers - and especially give me good suggestions as to what's needed, what should be changed, what should be omitted, ... ? There are a large number of book from Loompanics listed - but

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is out of business. They do have links to other publishers which may have some of those same books - e.g. deltapress.com Should our faq just point this out, or just drop the list? I'd prefer to give the links - but if people here want to track down the books, that would be even more informative.

--henry

Reply to
henry.schaffer
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Since somebody is nice enough to offer to do it I say at a minimum drop the dead links and if possible replace them with live ones to the same or equivelant material. Loompanics Unlimited is out of business but (for now) they do maintain a list of links to other similar, mostly libertarianesque sources.

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Other than that the meat and potato's of the FAQ seems well written. You might want to add something on the much publicized 'bump key' threat, since I don't think it's covered in there at all. Some basic safe fire and burglary ratings information or a link thereto might be helpful too.

Reply to
DB

Frankly I'd like to see you stop hacking around screwing up people's property, but I'm not holding my breath.

Reply to
Steve

"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:4620cf8d$0$24665$ snipped-for-privacy@roadrunner.com...

wouldn't matter. the same lock-picking info is readly available on the net. besides, the FAQ has never been designed to teach locksmithing. just to answer some frequently asked questions about the trade and this group.

Reply to
Key

"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:46217869$0$27063$ snipped-for-privacy@roadrunner.com...

you sure got this thing about "picking"... the FAQ doesn't give "picking instructions"... just links that are already available with a simple google search.

Reply to
Key

We heard you the first time. You live in the dark ages when how to smoke a key for a warded lock was a deep dark guild secret. It's ridiculous and no longer remotely practical. Picking is part of locksmithing. It's a needed practical skill and most people who are interested in locksmithing have at least a passing interest in picking locks. That's the LOGICAL, RATIONAL, basis for leaving it in. Do you have any logical argument for taking it out? Well? Anything?

Reply to
Steve

He is borderline obsessed with picking. He is on this moral superiority trip about not teaching picking for 2 years to anybody he were to train, and yanking all reference to it from the FAQ (which would be a little stupid considering it's a locksmithing NG and you would have a hard time locksmithing if you were unable to pick a lock). Neither of these things is pratical or makes any sense at all. The picking info should stay in and I would add some basic information on safe locks too. Proper dialing, explanation of Forbidden zone, or links to the same. If you type locksmithing into google the alt.locksmithing FAQ is the 2nd non-paid listing on the page. It should have more good current comprehensive information, not less. On the other hand if you search on lockpicking or lock picking the FAQ isn't even on the first two pages which is more than most people will look at anyway. This means that people interested in locksmithing as a whole will tend to find the FAQ with much greater regularity than people who just want to learn how to pick locks. The information is much more likely to be responsibly used than misused and it should definitely stay in.

Reply to
Steve

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and it is also available at ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/faqs/ under the

You need to put in some good detailed info on drilling various locks including high sec like medeco and cracking safes by drilling, punching and manipulating. How to pipe wrench padlocks and doorknobs too. Put something interesting in there instead of that boring crap.

Reply to
Punch Job

if you believe that will show up in the FAQ ? I gotta bridge to sell ya :-)

Reply to
Key

There is quite a bit of traffic on the newsgroup from people interested in what lock to buy, or locksmiths sharing information on what locks are good. This is, I think, totally absent in the FAQ. Some really good information has been in the newsgroup. Also significance of grades. Bump resistant locks. Burglary vs fire safe. Limitations of locks vs. smash and enter. And common locks that have vulnerabilities - like cylinder removal in some Kwickset key-in-knob. Not specific information, but general warnings. I remember a 'scandal' about one of the Blaze papers exposing a vulnerability in a specific lock. IMHO that lock should be exposed as having a vulnerability. But I realize any of this could take a lot of time.

Reply to
Bud--

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