International Professional Data Recovery Association

[guru]

Simon

This is interesting, however what does concern us is that associations are meant to be independent and above board. I AM A SCEPTICAL "OLD GIT", and I am nervous since I find non of the following on the site:

1. Legal status of the association, and therefore liability of members
2. Articles of association
3. Current committee members
4. Affilitation with any national chartered bodies
5. Address for sending legal correspondence
6. Financial standing of the association
7. Technical qualifications of the [temporary] committee that will assign a companies ranking
8. Voting rights of members
9. Law under which the association will operate

The domain name is clearly registered to an individual and not the association, so who owns the IP to the domain - is it yourself or the association.

The contact email address on the WHOIS records is to a commercial organisation - DISKLABS.

I don't wish to be negative, but is this just another ruse to (i) add a logo to a website; (ii) to understand the competitive landscape in the market; (iii) force companies to join yet another industry association or chartered body.

Personally I don't have enough time keeping up to date with the likes of the chartered bodies out there who have spent 40-100 years developing a valid professional membership and brand!!!

scegs :-O

Is Sceggy in reality Simon?

How strange! Maybe schizophrenia LMAO

[shahij]

still alive the topic?

[lukehealey]

It is little wonder that many members here are sceptical of an "International Association" that is thus-far unknown - and having to part with $$ to become a member.

Especially with the membership fee of $300-$500 (U.S I assume) - I'm sure most here in this forum will immediatly think - SCAM (i'm not trying to infer that this is in any way)
Other than a link and banner for an official sounding website, what does one get for the modest fees being asked???

[Starling]

I personally never thought of it as a scam. I just don't really like its idea.
I think this kind of association could be really useful but with more down-to-earth goals.
Like
- parts and firmware exchange
- referring clients who don't want to ship their media abroad
- link exchange for search engine optimization
- legal advices
etc...

[salvationlaura]

Dear DISKLAB,

I still love your idea. Any progress? I would like to work with you and do something real for the industry we love.

BTW,do you have a branch in USA, I prefer to start the union from USA.

Best Regards

Laura

[Disklabs]

Then one must never be asked for the money or fee to join it.........

Its free. Apply to join, if you qualify, I wont charge. This goes for everyone.

[Disklabs]

It is little wonder that many members here are sceptical of an "International Association" that is thus-far unknown - and having to part with $$ to become a member.

Especially with the membership fee of $300-$500 (U.S I assume) - I'm sure most here in this forum will immediatly think - SCAM (i'm not trying to infer that this is in any way)
Other than a link and banner for an official sounding website, what does one get for the modest fees being asked???

The website still says there is a fee, but its dropped as from when it started. I have never charged any of the members. The idea of the fee was if it seriously took off, someone would have to be paid to look into the companies and comprehend their technical capabilities.

Does that make a difference?

[Disklabs]

I personally never thought of it as a scam. I just don't really like its idea.
I think this kind of association could be really useful but with more down-to-earth goals.
Like
- parts and firmware exchange
- referring clients who don't want to ship their media abroad
- link exchange for search engine optimization
- legal advices
etc...

This is a good idea. Perhaps I could put a forum on the site to encourage such things?

If this is the case though, I will need help. So far, no offers!

[Disklabs]

Hi Disklab,
Did You Become Tier 1 From The First Day You Started Repair And DR .I Am 100000000000000000% Sure You Were Also "Fred In A shed " And "Back Bedroom" Types That Time,When You Started Into DR And Repair .Then You Invested In Tools ,Researched ,Experimented ,Learned and Slowly Migrated To So Called Tier1 [ That is You Say You Are Tier 1,I Do Not Know About Others ] .If this Is a Case Then There will Be Need for Three Websites

1 :Tier1 [ Made By You ] For Actual Tier 1 or So Called Tier1 DR And Repair Technicians
2 :"Back Bedroom" And "Fred In a Shed" Which Are Migrating To Become Tier1
3 :"Back Bedroom " And "Fred In a Shed" Who Plan To Do stay Right There

Kindly Don't Take In In The Offensive Way I Was Just Trying To Elaborate On the Issue .I Hope Some People Will Jumpinto This discussion

Amarbir,

I see your point, but I need to start somewhere. Currently we are 'Tier 1'. We have experts that do seriously complex recoveries. We also fit the criteria for Corporate membership, (no doubt as I set the levels). At a point when a 'Fred in a Shed' qualifies, then they can go to the appropriate level.

The IPDRA is new and needs to start somewhere. Until we get more members, I cannot afford to spend more and more time on it...

[hddguy]

Isnt this association the exact same as Global Data Recovery Alliance (http://www.globaldra.org/), which does not seem to be very successful?

[HDD Spaz]

It is.

it seems a complete waste of time to me.

[HDD_MASTER]

Some of us dont have time to waste!

[BlackST]

Everytime I fly, at the airport at least 2 or 3 promoters try to "sell" me a frequent flyer program, another credit card and so on. Is this the case ?
Every week I am contacted by local associations "if you join us you'll get..." "what do I get ?" "well... some discounts on phone calls, we have legal avisors, we get our members in contact so there will be business opportunities and blah blah blah..."
THE FACTS : not advertising, not even printing business cards, not telling the world about my existence, every year despite the so-called "crisis" I have 2-digit increase. Only the word spread. So what? Another thing to consider is that I (and probably other) want to stay "small" : at present, I have more work than I can do, so some people is on queue and other is forcefully rejected. I don't want to "grow" until I'll have employees that work with the same principles and quality I have. And, of course, the more you get, the more you pay in taxes and the more the expenses. No, no, no...

[Disklabs]

For the many of you still thinking that the http://www.IPDRA.org is self promotion and nothing more, I have made it even more 'open', but putting a forum in place for those wishing to join to ask questions.

There are lots of companies out there applying to go on the directory, but many of them havent joined the association, therefore they cant be listed.

If you are interested, please feel free to apply.

Its another thought. Should the applications be 'vetted' in the public domain i.e. on the forum, so that all can see how the committee say yes or no?

Thoughts please?

Regards,

Simon
www.ipdra.org

[Disklabs]

It is little wonder that many members here are sceptical of an "International Association" that is thus-far unknown - and having to part with $$ to become a member.

Especially with the membership fee of $300-$500 (U.S I assume) - I'm sure most here in this forum will immediatly think - SCAM (i'm not trying to infer that this is in any way)
Other than a link and banner for an official sounding website, what does one get for the modest fees being asked???

Luke,

Its free now. We have members from 13/14 countries, would you consider joining now?

Regards,

Simon

[Disklabs]

Isnt this association the exact same as Global Data Recovery Alliance (http://www.globaldra.org/), which does not seem to be very successful?

Nothing like it at all. That is just a list of data recovery comanies in different countrys.

The IPDRA is trying to set standards, is open, has a new forum for open and frank discussion and is free.

For the website minded people of you, the links all register as backlinks on Google and the site has a page rank of 4 so its quite useful for optimisation - though I would hope that that isnt the reason to join?

Regards,

Simon
www.ipdra.org

[BlackST]

[
The IPDRA is trying to set standards, is open, has a new forum for open and frank discussion and is free.

Ah ! I am not qualified for all this at the moment... maybe next life...

In any case all good ideas deserve encouragement and all the best and this seems one good.

[derp]

At the top of the member list, honorary fellow, WHO ? Simon of course.

At the top of the list of companies, Who? Disklabs of course.

Got to be a complete idiot to fall for this scam, not even half as smart as Madoff.

So you pay his organisation to make him look much better than he really could be.

Now he asks for nothing to make him look good. This is so funny

So who got duped, some rather nice guys sadly.

Not too late to resign

[BlackST]

Of course... is the founder. Who else ?

[withyou]

Hi Friends,
I think IDEMA is good for to register for more to know how about the hard drives and the algorithm and much more and for forensic Data Recovery ECCOUNSIL is good..so please go ahead..