FILOA Website Update

A couple of small steps have been made to bring about a working website for our newly established locksmith association. I would have said, bring to pass; but that kind of wording sounded biblical and I don’t think Moses had a laptop with internet connectivity when he got the Ten Commandments. Even so, the ability to get our simple message to so many people; the internet for good or bad is nothing less than a miracle.


When I first came up with the idea for a new locksmith organization one of the first thoughts was to reserve a place on the internet, something with FILOA in its name for search engines to find. I purchased the “rights” to http://www.filoa.org and http://www.filoa.net, figuring one or both would eventually become our “home” address; that seems to be partially true.


The lady at Digital Monkey Web Design working on “making it happen” has explained ways to save money while at the same time accomplishing the many technical requirements I listed for our website. Since I already had a working website for my business she “extended”, that’s a magician’s term to explain away something which goes beyond my ability to understand, she extended my original URL to permit the inclusion of FILOA’s website. She further explained how, through yet another miracle, the previously purchased URL’s could be “auto-linked”; no different than having a telephone line “push” to a cell phone for when you’re away from the office.


None of this has to make sense to me as long as it works. Right now I can review the work performed, as can anyone, by visiting the “work in progress” . The next project she’s working on right now is the Members Only section which will have password protection.


The Membership Application link functions properly and permits anyone to download a PDF copy to their printer. Take a look at the professional design of the application form; logo and lettering were all enhanced from my original design. I will have to ask her to add instructions to “Attach a copy of your business card” in the blank space near the bottom of the form. That way we can obtain a modicum of validation that the person applying is involved in some way with locksmith work. I’ll have her add a few lines for mailing address, phone number and email address at the same time.


I’ve been promoted to Website Administrator, a new hat to wear. I’ll have to learn my duties, all technical in nature, to avoid crashing the site or doing irreparable damage to it. These duties and responsibilities will happen about the same time the website goes on line as a working entity.


We’ve received inquiries from locksmiths outside the local Houston area, folks who’ve expressed an interest. Just this morning I opened an email from a locksmith in Alabama, (Thank You, Andy) who stumbled across us on a Google search; he too finds government encroachment on the locksmith industry an important issue.


We look forward to having others share in building this organization; especially the financial support which until now has been coming from my petty cash envelope. One fellow from Great Britain sent me a congratulations note for starting up this new locksmith association; sorry, you must be an American citizen to join. Yesterday H.L. Flake Security Hardware became our first paying advertiser; another means of paying for our website.


T.F. Stern, GSP


This article is cross posted to T F Stern’s Rantings , where the banner reads, “My Op-ed pieces are generally too long, and most definitely too far to the right for our Liberal friends in the press to print. The one time they printed my rantings, they edited it so badly as to destroy its meaning...and so I now have decided to BLOG.”