KRF on Everything

GoDaddy Transfers

2011-06-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ran into a hiccup with a GoDaddy domain transfer today. GoDaddy said the domain was available for transfer and took money, and issued authorization codes for the transfer...only to have the transfer rejected. The reason being that a phone number in the domain record changed a week ago, so ICANN policy, according to GoDaddy, is to reject transfers for SIXTY DAYS with no ability to resolve the problem earlier. I'm not so sure I believe GoDaddy, but that's what happened.

More importantly, I sent an e-mail to GoDaddy's legal asking for a reimbursement of roughly $12 in costs associated with this transaction (or the equivalent in credits to be used at GoDaddy). Let's see what happens. It was quite irritating I have to say, so I do have a full mind to go to small claims if GoDaddy doesn't want to own up to their role in this matter !!!

Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment

2011-06-06T04:18:00.000-07:00

For those involved in the finance industry and are considering gaining some international experience, please investigate the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (UK). In addition to an expanding international presence (Europe and Asia, in particular), the Institute also offers great networking opportunities, continuing professional development courses and a suite of exams that one can use to earn qualifications.

Warning on TSA Theft Rings

2011-04-03T01:30:00.001-07:00

As we have all heard, there have been several TSA theft rings discovered, and many reports of individual TSA agents stealing from passengers. You are far more likely to have your items stolen by the TSA than to be involved in a terrorist attack. So, rather than worry about terrorism when you travel, concentrate on securing your items while going through the TSA security.

This note is about carry-on items. Be aware of the following. (This may seem over-the-top, but if you read any of the blogs by people who have had items stolen, then you will realize that it is very painful. So, better paranoid than a victim, in this case.)

1. A TSA crook will likely try to steal your valuables when you lose eye-contact with your bag. This usually happens when the bag is going through the X-Ray machine and you are being scanned or patted down.

A. Check your bag prior to leaving the security area.

B. To be safe, consider writing down anything valuable in the carry-on, and then do the check immediately after getting your bag.

**** DO NOT WORRY ABOUT BEING IN THE WAY WHEN YOU CHECK YOUR BAG.

**** TSA crooks take advantage of the fact that people want to get their stuff and get out of there quickly. TAKE YOUR TIME.

C. Be very vigilant if you are in a situation that is hectic, and there are a lot of distractions.

D. Maintain eye-contact as much as possible with your bag.

E. Make eye-contact with the TSA agents so they know you are watching them.

F. Photograph valuable items before bringing them through security so that, if stolen, the police know what to look for.

G. In terms of filing a claim with the TSA, the photographs will help, and the TSA also likes to see receipts and/or credit slips for purchased items that are reported stolen.

H. If you are travelling with someone, try to videotape each other's bags, if possible, as they go in and emerge from X-ray (and are waiting to be picked up).

**** The TSA does recommend that you request a private room security check if you travel with items such as jewelry or large amounts of cash. Obviously, the TSA understands that it has a problem with theft. In this case, you should have a travel companion also along to witness the check. This is explained at: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1847.shtm

**** IMPORTANT: Sunglasses appear to be a favorite item of theft by the TSA. Sunglasses are often plopped on top of a bag or in the bowl, and since you aren't going to wear them inside, you forget that they are missing !!

2. It is suggested that theft also occurs by TSA agents who stand at the points where bags emerge from and go into the X-Ray machine.

A. This TSA agent grabs and moves the bags/items to give the impression that he is "helping" the process move more quickly.

B. That motion of grabbing and pushing the bag/item also allows him to steal an item that is on top or in one of the small bowls. If he is working in pairs, then one may open and the other may take. (Open when going into the X-ray, and steal when the bag emerges.)

C. If you see a TSA agent "moving" bags along, assume he is a crook and be vigilant.

3. In another strategy, TSA agents will take advantage of foreigners, the elderly and those who aren't likely to complain, by quickly taking items from the X-Ray machine for "inspection" and then return quickly with items missing. Since the take-and-return is fast, the elderly/foreigner is probably just happy to have the bag back.

It is very likely that theft by the TSA is VASTLY HIGHER than is reported. Foreigners and the elderly likely do not report all the theft that occurs.

Bottom Line: Do not trust the TSA with your items. That is sad to say, but it does appear that a permanent layer of criminality has embedded itself within the TSA.

REPEAT: Have a private room security check if you are travelling with jewelry and/or other very valuable items. Travel with a companion so that that he/she can witness the private room check. There should only be ONE TSA agent in the private room with you and your companion.

FEB 18 2:30AM PST server update...

2011-02-17T14:16:00.001-08:00

An SSL certificate on one of the busier sevik.net servers will be updated at FEB 18, 2:30AM PST. Users may notice a slower response from nrs-online.com functions for several minutes around this time.

Very Old Law Texts on Google Books

2011-01-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

Google has scanned in the contents of numerous very old (19th century and early 20th century) law treatises, journals and other books. These are complete, unlike many of the newer books on Google Books, which are only partially available for copyright reasons. A good one to get, if you don't already have it, is "The Common Law" by Oliver Wendell Holmes.

The entry point for google books is: http://books.google.com

To get a list of only Complete Texts, use the Advanced Search function.

Canceled Avvo Pro Subscription

2011-01-11T00:58:00.000-08:00

I had my Avvo ranking up to a 7.0 and then all of a sudden it dropped to a 6.1. Reason ? No new updates to my profile. Apparently, if you don't add new material then your score can decrease. This is under the notion that your "Industry Recognition" and even your 'Experience' can be considered to have declined if you don't add new material.

Personally, this looks a bit gimmicky. Avvo likely wants users to 1) provide free content to them in the form of guides and answering online questions, and 2) get peer recommendations (i.e. get other lawyers to access Avvo and say nice things about you).

Bottom line, if an Avvo client can provide free traffic and free content then their score goes up. Otherwise, it may go down.

If Avvo were more transparent in how scores are lowered and raised, it would be helpful. Otherwise, it looks like they can game the client very easily. I suspect article publications and speaker engagements are very limited in their effectiveness, and Avvo clients will likely find out that the best way to raise a rating is to help Avvo by giving them free content and free traffic.

Anyway, no more subscription money from me. I'd rather donate the $50/month to charity.

Software Upgrades

2010-12-24T23:09:00.000-08:00

An upgrade to the core Control Panel software will be undergoing live testing during the holiday period. Users can expect periodic downtimes in the 2:30AM - 3:00AM PST time periods during the week of DEC 26 2010 - JAN 01 2011.

Some users will see the new control panel, while others will not. Users seeing the new control panel should note that the service will be SLOWER. The new code is in Python and interacts with a variety of cloud services, rather than our current more optimized and traditional system.

A lot more features are about to rain down for current users. We thank everyone for their patience. Numerous accounts have received extensions to their renewal date so as to make transitioning easier and to better coordinate renewals with the new services.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Reboot of one NRS server on NOV 27 @ 2:30am PST

2010-11-24T23:18:00.000-08:00

A reboot of one of the NRS servers will take place on Saturday Nov 27 2010 @ 2:30am PST. This early morning re-boot may result in 1-3 minutes of requests not being processed. If there are any issues then a notice will be posted here and at the nrs-online.com home page. The server being re-booted does not deliver html content so the nrs-online.com website will not be affected.

DNS changes to nrs-online.com

2010-11-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

We made some DNS changes to the domain nrs-online.com -- there does not appear to be any issues, but sometimes changes can take a while to realize themselves throughout the net. If anyone has access problems via nrs-online.com then logging in at www.sevik.com should solve them.

Planned Server Reboot: 10/15/2010 2:30am PST

2010-10-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

Sevik will be rebooting several servers on OCTOBER 15, 2010 at 2:30am PST. This is due to a number of operating system updates that require a reboot. All services will be affected. A complete backup will occur prior to re-boot. Anticipated disruption time is 5 minutes. If there are issues, this blog will contain updates.

Web Server Restart in 10 minutes...

2010-10-11T00:12:00.000-07:00

One of the web servers that serves static html pages for several Sevik sites will be restarted. There should not be any disruption; if a page fails to load though try again once or twice and it should load properly. This restart will not affect Control Panel access or usage as the Control Panel is hosted on different servers.

New Server, new sites coming...

2010-08-27T13:28:00.001-07:00

New virtual server added to handle additional traffic - there were no interruptions; new Sites module BETA to be installed in some Accounts this week for managing entries in the upcoming Sevik Content Network - please test and use the feedback forms to alert us of any issues. First site should be public in a couple of weeks, after testing.

Rackspace Cloud working fine...

2010-08-07T13:34:00.001-07:00

All Sevik servers have been moved from their original hodgepodge of VPS and dedicated servers at various providers to Rackspace Cloud. The transition happened early in the year, and we've been going without any problems since then, and getting great performance for the price.

Previously we had dedicated servers and various forms of accounts at Rackspace, Verio, Hurricane Electric, Linode and Slicehost. By consolidating with virtual servers under Rackspace Cloud, management of assets is easier and money is saved. The upcoming content network will be entirely hosted on Rackspace Cloud.

Summer schedule...

2010-08-07T13:31:00.001-07:00

Things moving slowly during the summer. New Modules though should be ready for Sevik control panel users by the end of August. Content network on tap to be launched in September with testing throughout August. By the end of the year, the network is planned to expand to around twenty sites covering a range of themes.

SBTRUST, New Blogs, Storage, and more...

2010-05-10T13:09:00.001-07:00

1. krf-law.blogspot.com will be my blog for discussions of law and my law practice. Future NRS-Online/Sevik discussions will occur on a different blog as well (URL to be posted). This blog, KRF on Everything, will remain for miscellaneous and personal posts.

2. SBTRUST module has been installed for those who previously had SBTRUST accounts with Sevik. All other clients will have access to it in June.

3. StorageZAP Module still in testing. If you need free online storage then consider using Mozy. Mozy offers 2 GB for free. StorageZAP will only be 1 GB free for current Sevik customers with additional storage purchased.

4. StorageZAP Module deployment, and SBTRUST widespread deployment, delayed due to priority being put on going live with Sevik's content network. Once the network is up and operating then we can also add our marketing features to the Control Panel.

Blog will Split...

2010-04-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

Reading between the lines of a few e-mails, I think some aren't aware that my law practice and Sevik (a corporation) are distinct entities. To prevent that possible confusion from continuing and/or building, I will split my just started blogging career into separate blogs: personal, law and Sevik.

NRS-ONLINE: NRS2 replaced with SEVIK.NET

2010-04-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

The server at NRS2.COM was successfully taken offline (just a home page exists), so the previous workhouse server has now been retired. All data has been backed up. The archive of any data NRS-Online clients had on nrs2 can be viewed in their new Registry.

If you still have links pointing to NRS2.COM they need to be changed to point to the new sevik.net locations. Contact Sevik support if you need assistance.

All NRS logins should take place at either: nrs-online.com or sevik.com.

NRS-Online Backup Policy

2010-04-21T12:34:00.001-07:00

Ensuring that registered data is not lost is a top priority of the National Registration Service - Online. The following notes detail how backups are handled in our new environment.

1. System wide backups occur at three different points during the day. Two backups are handled by NRS-Online, and one by Rackspace. These backups blindly backup all Account data, from eRegistrations to Support messages, Account settings and User data. Rackspace backups overwrite the previous day's backup, while NRS-Online backups do not. Rackspace also provides weekly system wide backups that overwrite. The system wide backups made by NRS-Online are stored on Rackspace Cloud as well as offline.

2. Registrations by facsimile are received by, for lack of a better term, a virtual fax and stored as an electronic file. The electronic file containing the fax representation is redundantly backed up and stored in Rackspace Cloud files, as well as offline on digital media.

3. Registrations by e-mail are treated in the same way as facsimile registrations. The electronic representation of the e-mail is backed up and stored in several locations. Also, the original e-mail within the @nrs-online.com inbox is maintained.

The goal is for NRS-Online to accept, time stamp, store and record details for all registrations such that they can be later used as evidence in arbitration hearings or in court.

LegalZAP Virtual Lawyer Service available 4/26/2010

2010-04-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

LegalZAP is the title, for the time being at least, of my soon-to-be-available-to-non-current-clients virtual lawyer service. Basically, it is legal research/writing, opinions, tax consultation and preparation as well as anything else that can be done online for a fixed monthly fee. I will start with a low price to gauge the demand, and also to put the software through its paces.

The software for the virtual lawyer service is simple to use, and just provides a means for communications and exchanging files. But it is multi-user so there are some security/permission issues.

LegalZAP will be available by visiting www.krflaw.com as of 4/26/2010.

Avvo rating 6/10.0 which is "Good"

2010-04-20T02:13:00.000-07:00

Claimed my lawyer profile on Avvo. They magically compute a rating out of 10 for every lawyer who claims. The rating is based on a host of factors including experience, industry recognition and professional conduct. With only 3 years of experience and no industry recognition, I think a 6/10 is a fair rating - that comes out as "Good" in their overall scheme rather than just "Average."

I think I can do a lot to increase my score when it comes to Industry Recognition. Avvo doesn't reveal how they compute their numbers, so I'm not sure how much I have to do in order to increase the score a bit. In spite of that, I'll set a personal goal of 6.8 by the end of the year (2010).

NRS-Online Add-ons coming...

2010-04-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

We will be adding some free online storage space for those who want an additional place to get/retrieve documents online. I generally suggest using email accounts to store documents (send an attachment from your gmail to yahoo mail/hotmail and you have multiple backups). But some people like online folder type systems, so that's coming by May 1, 2010.

The data will be stored on a different server than the NRS-Online eRegistrations, so there won't be any impact on NRS performance. Current subscribers won't have to do anything, the module will automatically appear in the GO drop-down menu once the service is available.

Additionally, a portion of the old Sevik SBTRUST service will be integrated into NRS-Online. I will provide some background on SBTRUST later on. The SBTRUST module will also be live on May 1, 2010, if not before.

URL of Blog

2010-04-15T01:51:00.000-07:00

The location of this blog is krf-talks.blogspot.com. The use of "talks" rather than "speaks" or anything else is an inside joke.

Quick Background...

2010-04-15T01:40:00.001-07:00

NRS-Online is the National Registration Service - Online and it is located at www.nrs-online.com. NRS-Online registers (i.e. time stamps and stores for later authentication) media of all sorts. This is designed to assist in protecting copyrights, managing liability and safeguarding ideas and documents.

NRS-Online has been around since 1998, so it is one of the longer lasting registration services. Others that pre-date NRS-Online are ProtectRite and the Writer's Guild script registration service.

NRS-Online is for establishing a date of possession for lots of items, as there is no per item charge. It is supplemental to registration of a copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office. Hundreds of items are registered each day with NRS-Online.

We are thinking about rebranding NRS-Online as RegisterZAP. I might transfer the LegalZAP name over to Sevik, and allow Sevik to build up a series of ZAP branded sites - RegisterZAP for registration, LegalZAP for legal forms and so on...

Southwestern Law School

2010-04-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Southwestern Law School (aka Southwestern University School of Law) is located in Los Angeles (mid-Wilshire). I attended the accelerated 2-year SCALE program. SCALE is probably the fastest route to an ABA-accredited law degree. It worked for me - I passed the California Bar the first time around, and didn't take any Bar-prep courses.

I would recommend considering the SCALE program at Southwestern if you want to get your law degree ASAP. If you don't mind a traditional 3-year program then go to the best law school that accepts you.

If you have a choice between UCLA and USC, I would recommend UCLA just for location reasons. Westwood is a great place to live and study. Otherwise, both law schools are top rate.

NRS-Online Affiliate Program

2010-04-14T17:10:00.001-07:00

Yes, there is an affiliate program for NRS-Online. Basically, you get $10 for anyone who clicks through your affiliate banner and subscribes.

The affiliate module is automatically installed for all new NRS-Online subscribers. If you are an older subscriber and want the affiliate module, just contact support. If you are not an NRS-Online subscriber then send a contact message with a URL to your website and we will decide whether to accept you or not.

NRS-Online Upgrade Notes

2010-04-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

The NRS-Online site had a major software upgrade this week causing some angst. Here are the key points:

1. The NRS2 registry is still live, so NRS can be used as before if you prefer.

2. Your NRS2 registry password is not valid for the new registry. So, you will have to reset your password using the form on the Login Help Page.

3. The above only applies to "old" subscribers, more recent subscribers can log in as normal.

4. Contact support if you need assistance - current turnaround is pretty fast this week.

5. The Google Chrome browser can have problems showing some archived data. If you have problems, try Firefox and/or Internet Explorer (8). Google is being notified of the bug.

First Post

2010-04-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

The KRF on Everything blog will present comments by me - Keith Richard Frederick - on, well, everything that comes to mind that is suitable to publish.

The blog is part of my new effort to drive visitors to my virtual lawyer law practice (see www.krflaw.com for more info) and the various Sevik initiatives.