TexasCHLforum.com

I recently received an email from Halos Force. It is an app that allows you to see the general location of fellow carriers that are members.

http://halosforce.com/#membership
https://www.facebook.com/halosforce

Curiosity got the better of me and I downloaded the app but did not joined. They ask for your Lic. number. Nope. Not giving that or my DL out to some app.

What permissions does the app ask for? Is it gathering personal information? What is being done with that information? I wouldn't want an app to be able to let anyone else know anything about me carrying - not even my general location.

Just my .02, but this is either a naive person/group supporting gun rights or could be a Trojan horse wanting to gather information. Either way I would not trust it.

...and the point of this app is?

You can see the approximate location of what it says are other people carrying, but you can't communicate with them (why you'd want to talk to those specific people, I don't know), so this seems like a way to just build a list of people who carry for marketing purposes.

Also, only LE is supposed to be able to verify licenses, so I wonder how they verify the info. I may try to sign up with some fake but plausible-sounding info when I get home tonight, to see if it works.

I got the email and looked at the sample setup video. When I got to the part about putting in your name and license number, I turned it off.

I don't know if they have an Android app, but let me add another question from mine above:

Upon installation - BEFORE someone enters their license information (or decides not to) what personally identifying information did they get from your phone?

This was discussed several months ago here: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=85157

Curiously the original post of that thread is no longer there.

Another link - the person "representing" Halos in the comments section pretty much turns you off from ever doing business with them:
http://www.guns.com/2016/07/15/new-ipho ... t-holders/

bblhd672 wrote:This was discussed several months ago here: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=85157

You beat me to it!

The question that has NOT been answered by the app's promoters is this: Exactly what problem does app this solve?

I missed the previous thread when I did a search. While the curiosity to be able to "see" other carriers would be interesting there is no reason for me to give that information out to an app.

The only thing I might could see as an advantage, and I'm grasping, would be the ability to show the general public that we are around them every day and blood is not running in the streets. That would require all of us to buy in and that's not going to happen.

My apologies for missing the first thread

troglodyte wrote: The only thing I might could see as an advantage, and I'm grasping, would be the ability to show the general public that we are around them every day and blood is not running in the streets. That would require all of us to buy in and that's not going to happen.

If you want to accomplish that, in a way that doesn't compromise our personal info to who knows what via an app, here's one way to do it. Pick a date some months in the future that isn't coat weather. Make it a Saturday for maximum participation. The concept is, that on that day, every LTC holder goes out, open carrying. Those that can carry all day, do so. Those that can't carry all day, do so at lunch time. 1 out of every 26 adult Texans having lunch in a public place (that isn't posted 30.07, obviously) with a sidearm. Get every gun culture supporting organization to publicize it in advance to it's LTC members. NRA, TSRA, GOA, [prepaid legal service], the 4H youth pistol programs, Academy, Cabela's, Bass Pro, your LGS, whatever. Bury print, radio, and tv in press releases about "Lunch on Open Carry Day". Blizzard social media with it too. Work in that we're your neighbor, we're your co-worker, we've been here for two decades and you never knew we were among you. Tell the politicians "we carry AND WE VOTE". All the lunch places that aren't posted and selling lunch to us will get the message. And maybe the lunch place across the street that is posted, and sees the crowd at their competition, will also get the message. And remember to tip the waitstaff at lunch.

I love this idea, and would totally participate.

LucasMcCain wrote: I love this idea, and would totally participate.

Perhaps our forum members can start a trend by doing this "unofficially" on a given day.

bblhd672 wrote:

LucasMcCain wrote: I love this idea, and would totally participate.

Perhaps our forum members can start a trend by doing this "unofficially" on a given day.

I already open carry the majority of the time, but I would make a point of going out for lunch instead of packing a lunch to raise awareness. One of the main reasons I open carry so much is to try to let people see that gun owners aren't the crazies the media makes us out to be, and to allow people to open a dialogue if they want to. It's hard to make a good impression for the LTC community if people don't know who we are. The occasional attention it gets me makes me kind of self conscious, but I care about this cause. It's worth it to see someone's view affected positively by a conversation you have with them that never would have happened had you not been carrying openly.

LucasMcCain wrote:

bblhd672 wrote:

LucasMcCain wrote: I love this idea, and would totally participate.

Perhaps our forum members can start a trend by doing this "unofficially" on a given day.

I already open carry the majority of the time, but I would make a point of going out for lunch instead of packing a lunch to raise awareness. One of the main reasons I open carry so much is to try to let people see that gun owners aren't the crazies the media makes us out to be, and to allow people to open a dialogue if they want to. It's hard to make a good impression for the LTC community if people don't know who we are. The occasional attention it gets me makes me kind of self conscious, but I care about this cause. It's worth it to see someone's view affected positively by a conversation you have with them that never would have happened had you not been carrying openly.

I should have elaborated on my comment by saying that we forum members could do this unofficially by gathering for a meal together on a predetermined day at open carry friendly restaurants all across the state. Open carry encouraged but not required.

bblhd672 wrote:

LucasMcCain wrote:

bblhd672 wrote:

LucasMcCain wrote: I love this idea, and would totally participate.

Perhaps our forum members can start a trend by doing this "unofficially" on a given day.

I already open carry the majority of the time, but I would make a point of going out for lunch instead of packing a lunch to raise awareness. One of the main reasons I open carry so much is to try to let people see that gun owners aren't the crazies the media makes us out to be, and to allow people to open a dialogue if they want to. It's hard to make a good impression for the LTC community if people don't know who we are. The occasional attention it gets me makes me kind of self conscious, but I care about this cause. It's worth it to see someone's view affected positively by a conversation you have with them that never would have happened had you not been carrying openly.

I should have elaborated on my comment by saying that we forum members could do this unofficially by gathering for a meal together on a predetermined day at open carry friendly restaurants all across the state. Open carry encouraged but not required.

I would love to do that as well.

JustSomeOldGuy wrote:

troglodyte wrote: The only thing I might could see as an advantage, and I'm grasping, would be the ability to show the general public that we are around them every day and blood is not running in the streets. That would require all of us to buy in and that's not going to happen.

If you want to accomplish that, in a way that doesn't compromise our personal info to who knows what via an app, here's one way to do it. Pick a date some months in the future that isn't coat weather. Make it a Saturday for maximum participation. The concept is, that on that day, every LTC holder goes out, open carrying. Those that can carry all day, do so. Those that can't carry all day, do so at lunch time. 1 out of every 26 adult Texans having lunch in a public place (that isn't posted 30.07, obviously) with a sidearm. Get every gun culture supporting organization to publicize it in advance to it's LTC members. NRA, TSRA, GOA, [prepaid legal service], the 4H youth pistol programs, Academy, Cabela's, Bass Pro, your LGS, whatever. Bury print, radio, and tv in press releases about "Lunch on Open Carry Day". Blizzard social media with it too. Work in that we're your neighbor, we're your co-worker, we've been here for two decades and you never knew we were among you. Tell the politicians "we carry AND WE VOTE". All the lunch places that aren't posted and selling lunch to us will get the message. And maybe the lunch place across the street that is posted, and sees the crowd at their competition, will also get the message. And remember to tip the waitstaff at lunch.

Just my choice, but, I have not open carried. Ever. For this I believe that I would. It sounds like a good idea on paper.