So, I got bored.

[N. A. Corbier]

Why's this in the vendor forum? Because I'm sorta... selling something. Not really selling to you, though.

I got bored. I created a site. I think its a nice site. It will continue to be expand, and I will add new features, and it will get nicer.

So, I am announcing a public beta for a new security portal site. This site focuses on the employee level private security professional. The security officer, guard, employee.

We have several features, so I'll outline what they are real quick. The features are generally unpopulated with content, which is something that I'm working on. However, the place is up.

I invite everyone to come on by and take a look. Register an account if you like. Tell your friends.

Feel free to submit content. I can't guarantee that the site will use it, but if we do, it could make the front page.

We have a video section, and you can comment on videos in our forums as well.

We have a job center with employer reviews (you can review your employer, good or bad, here!) as well as employer spotlights. Eventually we will be finding employers that are doing something above normal and writing spotlight pages about them, then featuring them on our front page.

We have a groups system, which means that you can connect with others, create various groups (Like, say, a California Security Group, or a Campus Security Group.) You can create your own groups, make them invite only, or approval only.

For businesses, we have a free job center system. Its pretty simple right now, but we are working on how it displays data to make it prettier. Post your job listings for free, accept applications from our system, etc.

Most importantly, the foundation is laid for people to get away from the cop sites and meet in a place that is for security, by security. No having to worry about the cop anti-troll squads deciding that they don't like security guards on "their" forum. Its OUR forum. Its OUR community. Our news. Our videos. Our employers and our training topics.

Its ours, and I invite you to claim what is yours.

http://www.securityprofessional.us/

Public Beta - Round 2

[HotelSecurity]

securityprofessional.us - "Connecting America's Security Professionals" - Can Canadians join?

[N. A. Corbier]

Sure. There are Canadians on PoliceLink, and they're focused on US Police service. Hell, even those Aussies could join.

[CAPTAIN KOOLAID]

So, I got bored.

Sure. There are Canadians on PoliceLink, and they're focused on US Police service. Hell, even those Aussies could join.

Awwwww not the damn Aussies well ok the females can come .

Joking N.A. Corbies the new web page looks greats.

[N. A. Corbier]

My MicroManagement (Administration) console tells me that you haven't confirmed registration yet. Another user had a problem, so I'll put a reminder:

1. If you use a free email address, such as yahoo/gmail/hotmail, your registration confirmation email is probably going to end up in your SPAM folder. Its not spam, its just generic in nature and their spam filters are extremely unhappy with generic looking anything.

2. If its not there after 4 hours, let me know through the Contact Form, or even here. Now, I say "me," but eventually it will be "Anyone on the Web Team, though the Web Team Contact Form." I will check the mail server logs and see if it got there. If it got there, then I will let you know and you can tell me where the email went to once it hit your email server.

3. Our registration thing asks for some statistical data. Look for the icons to show what is shown on your profile. You'll notice that your first and last name are not shown on your profile. Your method of service and service type, on the other hand, are. Along with where you're from.

4. Aussie women are hot and all I have to say is that Abby Winters makes an interesting website. We don't need to discuss what that website is about here, though, since its not work safe.

5. The most "interesting" section is our Video section, and were already getting feedback on it. I'm working on making things less stupid, and will be making some forum posts about it. Basically, though, its not the best solution, but its pretty.

[Eric]

How about a closed to the general public section on the forum to discuss more sensitive items?

[N. A. Corbier]

I've thought about doing Verifications before, but this leads to an interesting problem. How do you verify an arbitrary title? I am a badge and credentials carrying security consultant for a technical security firm. I am also on the board of directors of said firm, and appointed myself to this title.

How does one "prove" that any of us, short of state licensing, are security guards?

Our system DOES provide for secret forums for groups, however. When you create a group, you have your own forum which you can discuss things. Moderator Team members (when there are some) and Administration Team members (There are some) can see all groups and all forums, of course.

I will not be opposed if someone wants to create a Verified, Approval Only, Security Officer group. Or 20 Verified Security Officer Groups. If you can tell me how to verify an arbitrary title, then an official SP Verified Security Officer group will be created.

Its easy to verify sworn law enforcement officers, simply because you either are sworn by a government agency or act or you aren't. Even private police are easy to verify.

"Hi, I'm Deputy Major Robert Bob Jones from the Bob County Sheriff's Department in BFE, Arizona. I'm calling to verify that you have an employee working for you. His name is... Does he have arrest powers, and are you chartered by the state as a police agency? Ok, thanks."

Honestly, if N-Tweezy actually owned a company, and designated himself a security guard (as he can, as owner), then he's a proprietary security officer and he'd be verifiable.

I don't want to sound negative about this, and will listen to any input anyone gives on it. I think its a good idea to have a verified section, the only question is, how?

[Chucky]

Nate who is your host? I ask because we have been using Go Daddy for a couple years and as time goes by they seem to be interested less about any questions we have. Our site uses code inputed by our own people in different places and GD seems less than happy to offer support to 3rd party code. I can't blame them but if your going to offer hosting then don't do it half way. We did a temporary mirror to a site by SMF and it was way faster and stable. Any thoughts?

[Curtis Baillie]

I use Go Daddy and use my own code on some pages. After a couple of years I have had no issues.

[bigshotceo]

How about a closed to the general public section on the forum to discuss more sensitive items?

I, for one, would support the idea of a forum to discuss Abby Winters

[N. A. Corbier]

Nate who is your host? I ask because we have been using Go Daddy for a couple years and as time goes by they seem to be interested less about any questions we have. Our site uses code inputed by our own people in different places and GD seems less than happy to offer support to 3rd party code. I can't blame them but if your going to offer hosting then don't do it half way. We did a temporary mirror to a site by SMF and it was way faster and stable. Any thoughts?

<plug> SecurityProfessional is on a 10 dollar a month unmanaged hosting plan from my company. </plug>

Curt isn't going to see problems with his site because, I believe, its static HTML files. However, keep in mind: GoDaddy is unmanaged hosting. That means they really don't care what runs on it, so long as its in the AUP. If it doesn't run? Not their problem.

There's a chain, actually. SecurityProfessional is hosted on tamaki.cityscapesolutions.net, one of our web hosting servers. Tamaki is maintained by CS staff, just like any client box, and costs us 20 bucks a month to run.

It is provided by linode.com, which does not provide managed server options. We resell linode with a metric ton of managed support. In other words, if someone wants a managed web site, they pay us a sum of money every month and we throw it on a linode, set the Linux up on the linode, tune the web server, tune the SQL server, setup email services, and install the site.

Unfortunately, this is time intensive and doesn't come cheap. Managed server hosting starts at 60 a month, but includes the ability to run other applications, not just websites.

For example, we're currently running AOL Music Shoutcast servers on tamaki, as well as providing shell access, an IRC server, and something called MUSH hosting for our clients. Because its a dedicated (virtual) server, we tune everything and know what will work with what, and how much RAM everything takes, etc.

Oh, and the best part? Unlike shared hosting, if some script kiddie's cracker program is installed on box21.sharedhosting.com, its not going to root my box and take out 1500 accounts. We have active IDS on our servers, and have a smaller threat footprint (our boxes host 5-10 sites, not 500-1000) per server.

So, in a nutshell, we host using Cityscape Solutions, on an unmanaged plan cause its just another account on Tamaki for me.

[SecTrainer]

I guess I don't get what's different about this new forum or why it's needed.

[NRM_Oz]

Sec, just send your cheque for $1000 US to Mr N.A. Corbier righful President of Rhodesia to his US postal address and wait for us to get back to you.

Hey I would gladly have some aussie girlies but sadly apart from a married OzSecurityChic - the well is dry ................

[CAPTAIN KOOLAID]

So, I got bored.

I guess I don't get what's different about this new forum or why it's needed.

Ahhhh old saying if anit broke why fix it.
Then there is another saying grass hopper, when butterfly comes out it's cocon need room open it's wings.
IE N.A. feel there better way do things and our feerless ninja leader hasn't let us down yet.

[SecTrainer]

Ahhhh old saying if anit broke why fix it.
Then there is another saying grass hopper, when butterfly comes out it's cocon need room open it's wings.
IE N.A. feel there better way do things and our feerless ninja leader hasn't let us down yet.

I don't have a "ninja leader", so I still don't get it. In fact, I don't frankly get any of the "ninja" or "member of Corbier's Commandos" stuff that I see on the board. Inside joke, I guess...or maybe I'm just dense.

Oh well, I don't have to get it, do I? Have fun!