[Viper22]

Hey Guys,

Dane Burns has very graciously given me permission to announce the launch of my site, DefenseReview.com,at
http://www.defensereview.com. "Defense Review" is an online magazine/news site for guns and self-defense related topics. It runs on a sophisticated community-based software with some pretty cool features.

Our goal at DefenseReview.com is to have a site where one can go, hang out, and get the latest firearms and self-defense related news and information. If you have some time, please visit our site and let me know what you think. You can respond to me on this forum, or email me at [email protected]. I'm really interested in your feedback. Please just keep in mind that we are still working on the site, and will be adding more areas and features in the coming weeks. Also, please be sure to read the "About" page (you can find it on the "Main Menu" on the left-hand side of the home page), as it will let you know what we're all about.

If it turns out that DefenseReview.com looks like the kind of place where you would like to be a member, please register and help us to get some real-time discussions going on the various articles that are already there. Also, what we need most right now are for any new members to help us scour the web and submit links to articles and news stories relating to guns and self-defense, that they feel are important for people to read.

By the way, at the moment, we currently have two original "Defense Review" articles, published by us, on our home page. I hope everybody enjoys them. One of them was generously donated by noted gunwriter T.J Mullin. T.J.'s article is about FN Herstal's futuristic Five-Seven pistol. The other article is "Part One" of a two part article about the geneology of Firearms instruction in the U.S.. Future original content will be coming soon. Some of this content will be actual weapons tests conducted according to our own testing protocols.

If you would like to submit a link to a news story you've found, but don't know how,please contact us, and we will help you. If you would like to submit a link in the form of an html template, so it is ready for us to just put up on the site, you can use the following template as a guide:

Description of story goes here.

Click here to read

Otherwise, just submit the link to us, and we'll take it from there.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell everybody--our "Web Links" area is really a search engine for the firearms industry. Please try it out and let us know how you like it. Hopefully, this one feature, by itself, will prove to be a very useful resource for our members and visitors, unto itself. If our search engine doesn't have what you're looking for in our internal database, or even
if it does, and you still want more, you can continue your search in google.com, altavista.com, or one of the other search engines by just clicking on the hypertext below. Our search engine automatically links up with theirs.

So you are aware, we're still working a couple final bugs out of the system. We should have them taken care of soon. If
anyone finds anything confusing, or is having trouble of any kind, please let me know, and I will assist you.

Also, if anyone has any trouble signing up, please email me immediately about it.

Thanks again everybody, and I hope you like what you see.

Thank you, Dane.

Sincerely,

David Crane
DefenseReview.com
[email protected]

 

[Blackjack]

Hello David

I just visited your site.

After reading your membership Sign - up information I have some questions.

Why do you need to know what the URL of the last site I visited was ?

Why do you reserve the right to locate and record my home address ?

Why do you wish to place a "Cookie" in a file on my hard Drive ?

How about a little background on who the principals of your Site are and what they do.


Thanks

 

[dengel]

Dear Blackjack,

My name is David Engel, and I am one of the owners of DefenseReview.com. Thank you for your interest in the site, and in order for you to feel more comfortable about signing up for the site, here are the answers to your questions -

1 - When ever you visit a site, certain information is collected, and not just by us. Its a standard part of the log file, and every web server has one. Part of the information may include your IP address, the browser you are using, how you got to our site (frequently called the refer information), as well as your operating system and even possibly the screen resolution on your video card. This information is not something that we use to do anything but determine where our traffic is coming from. It also helps us better serve your needs as a user.

2 - We NEVER reserve the right to locate your home address .. not ever. In fact if you'll be kind enough to look under the privacy policy under Item 2, you'll see it says "A cookie will not let a web site know any personally identifiable information about you, such as your real name and address." To be honest, Blackjack, we have no idea where you are, who you are nor will we make any efforts to ascertain such information.

3 - Cookies are placed on your hard drive by just about every site that you visit. They contain information that may help to personalize the site, or "remember" you when you vist the site again. You are free to disable your cookies at any time you choose by following the steps included in your browser. The cookies are there as a "helper" to you, and in no way offer any insight into who you are, or give us any "magic access" to you as a user. Sometimes they are also used so that you dont see a banner ad more than once, or for other advertising purposes. But like I said you may disable them and retain the FULL functionality of the site.

4 - Regarding the Principals of the site, that is something that I prefer to answer via private email, and if you wish you may email me by clicking on my profile and emailing me directly.

I hope that I have answered your questions and given you as well as the other members the knowledge and comfort that we want to maintain and safeguard your privacy just as much as we want you to enjoy the site. Please feel free to email me should you have any concerns or questions that I have not addressed.


Sincerely

David Engel

 

[Blackjack]

Hi David

Thanks for the prompt and detailed response.

Here is a direct quote from your "Privacy" information page on the site.

Quote : ..." In addition to this anonymous data, Defensive Review may also collect personally identifiable information, personally identifiable information refers to information that tells us specifically who you are, such as your name and Postal Address." ...end of quote.

Since the above stands alone as a complete and separate sentence , the meaning seems pretty clear.

Please note that I`m Not trying to be a smart ass here, just trying to clarify the small print :smile:




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Blackjack on 2001-06-07 10:12 ]</font>

 

[dengel]

Blackjack,

Yes it says we MAY do that. But we do not do that without your consent. For instance when you sign up for a membership you give us your email address? We understand and value your privacy.

If you wish to continue this conversation, Im sure the other members of PistolSmith.com dont want to be involved in this discussion, please feel free to email me directly and I will be happy to assist you in any manner I can.

 

[harley45]

Help I can't access the site,any ideas?

 

[gyp_c2]

Actually I was rather enjoying it as I block all the user ID information when registering anyway...If your software doesn't allow that, it's not because you aren't availing yourself of "options"...I'll come over for a visit...But I kind of like this "out in the open" exchange about what you are and aren't doing. I also like to know if the software is CAPABLE of accessing my home address etc, because that is NOT a friendly thing to do...permission or no...

:wink:

 

[jaydee]

Hey Guys...

As a Web Professional... specializing in Web Servers, and Secuirty products & Protocols, I can assure you that you will ot reveal your home address on any website, unless you enter it in, or have it set in some software/site registration.

Examples might be like ICQ, or Yahoo messenger. When you register, and it asks for your address, if you submit the info, it could be used for means other than those the company specifically discloses, although that would be illegal, some site maintainers have allowed this type of info to be released.

Also, if you register something like a Microsoft product, or some other application, and enter your home address, the same could be vulnerable.

I make it a practice to weigh my privacy very carefully. If the site is something that I KNOW needs to have my home address for certain reasons, I will submit it, if not, but "requires" an address, or simply a city or zip code, I use "4 Public Places" and choose a nearby city/zip code.

Same applies to Birthdate info, and phone numbers. NEVER, under any circumstances, submit your Social Security Number to a website, UNLESS you know exactly what the purpose or requirement is, such as your bank, or financial institution that YOU solicted, and not that SOLICITED YOU!

Good Common Sense is the best way to protect your privacy.

Also, I would recommend getting an email address on Yahoo, or Hotmail, or one of the other "free" email services. Yahoo is preferred for me, since it allows me many options for forwarding to a regular email account, and checking through a normal email client. By doing so, you can keep much of the spam out of your personal email account.

For those who register domains, understand that the domain info is public record, so caution should be used in what is kept in the database on the web. I use a business address, but have known people to use their home addresses.

Good Luck, and stay safe...

If you have specific questions related to the subject, email me off-line, if I think of something else, I will eloborate further. Gotta Run, the trout are biting :smile:

 

[Viper22]

Listen Guys,

Our software is NOT capable of accessing anyones home information. We could not and would not do that.

Listen guys, I'm every bit as paranoid as the next guy. I mean, I figure as bad as you think people are out to get you, in all likelihood, it's probably worse than you think. However, that being said, as the primary owner of DefenseReview.com, I will state right here and now that our software CANNOT access any more personal information than the rest of the sites out there like TFL, Glocktalk, or Pistolsmith.com can and do--nor do we intend to.

We are just like every other site out there. We collect only that information that you provide to us, as well as the normal ip and cookie info that the rest of the internet relies on.

We cannot and will not acquire any information that you do not want us to have. Perhaps certain parties are picking through our privacy statement with a fine-toothed comb, quoting things out of context, and perhaps not quite giving us a fair shake, considering the fact that we are just getting started and trying to get the word out about the site.

Our goal at DefenseReview.com is to provide the absolute best resource we can for gun enthusiasts, serious shooters, and those interested in self-defense.

Now, if it makes everyone feel better, here is my PERSONAL contact information, inlcuding my mailing address:

David Crane
6800 Bird Rd., #176
Miami, FL 33155
305-665-4702 Home
305-667-0006 Office
[email protected]
[email protected]
http://www.defensereview.com

There it is, guys. The whole shabang. Now, all of you have MY personal information, and I AM Defense Review.

David

 

[gyp_c2]

Nice site...The look is great and it's a very nicely done program. Ya'll have a lot of good resources and it'll be another hangout I'm sure.

Congratulations on your new launch...see you there :wink:

 

[Blackjack]

Dave

I didn`t mean to give you a hard time in anyway, sorry if it came off that way.

I am a Dork when it comes to the Internet.

Your clarification is more then enough for me.....and I`d like to say your being up-front in detail gives you much credibility and speaks toward your seriousness.

In the long and short run this dialog is going to serve you better then hearing alot of .." attaboy !! way to go !! wow !!, cool site " stuff.

I will sign up now, and hope to take part in your future.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Blackjack on 2001-06-07 19:45 ]</font>

 

[Viper22]

No prob, Blackjack. It's cool.

We'd love to have 'ya.

David

 

[38 Super Combat Commander]

Nice site David.