KarmaArmy FAQ's

This is where you will find answers to some common questions about KarmaArmy, KarmaAlerts, How it works, why it works, etc.

Q1) What is KarmaArmy and Why should I care?
Q2) What IS a KarmaAlert!?
Q3) What should I put in my profile?
Q4) Are you looking for corporate participation? Sponsorships?
Q5) Are you currently looking for interns?
Q6) What's the deal with the RSS Feed and Why Should I Subscribe?
Q7) WHAT DO I DO IF I RECEIVE A KarmaAlert! AND I SEE THE THIEF!?
Q8) How do I use the K.A. Web Badge?

A: The quick answer is that the KarmaArmy Community can help you recover your Stolen Bike, snowboard, etc. by having as many of our community members keeping an eye out for your "just-stolen" X.

The slightly longer answer is:

The concept for this community was conceived after a stolen bike experience. The initial message was simply BAD KARMA To Bike Thieves. Since that time roughly 10 years ago, KarmaArmy has emerged as much more.

In addition to being able to help recover stolen gear through the use of our KarmaAlert™ System (see below), it is meant to be informational & educational (How to properly lock your bike. Is my bike or skis covered under my homeowner's insurance?)

The site is also designed to serve as a Repository for your serial numbers, photos of your gear, descriptions, etc. so in the event of a theft, you have all your information in one spot, ready for police reports & insurance claims, etc. You won't have to go scrambling around looking for all of that info (especially while in an already agitated state). It is also a community of athletes and enthusiasts who care about their gear and understand the implications if something gets stolen. As members of the KarmaArmy, we care enough to keep our eyes open for a stolen bike or unique board, etc.

The KarmaArmy can also be a source of relief for victims of bike theft for example. We've read countless stories of a kid's bike getting stolen; and it's just not right. Share your stories of recovery or how the theft happened.

We are also working on some extremely exciting tracking solutions to help with both theft prevention & recovery! Stay tuned!


Q: What IS a KarmaAlert?

A: This is the driving engine of KarmaArmy. We have developed a localized & national KarmaAlert  system which is like an Amber Alert for your gear! Once you put out a KarmaAlert - anyone within your immediate Zip Code who has signed up to receive our alerts, will get receive them via email and instantly be on the lookout. If they spot your just-stolen item, they can immediately contact YOU the submitter. Our full community is also notified as your KarmaAlert is posted on our Home Page; as well to our rss subscribers, twitter followers, facebook groupies, forums, Police, campus security offices and each of our partners. Once you put up a KarmaAlert, you will automatically have the entire Membership of the KarmaArmy on the lookout for your Just Stolen article!! Think of it as a virtual neighborhood watch system. 

Q: What should I put in my Profile?

A: Your Profile Section is another key feature of the KarmaArmy Community. We have designed this segment as a place to store key information about your gear. Record the serial #'s of each item, in your profile! With detailed descriptions, photos (before it gets stolen) and key information, you can keep all of this Mission Critical info in ONE place & on-hand. In the event of an unfortunate theft, you have instant access to all of your information for police reports & insurance claims. We want you to be covered in every way!

We also encourage you to sign up to receive KarmaAlerts within & around your home Zip Code. By checking off "YES, I want to receive KarmaAlerts!", you will be notified via email about any alert that has been posted within your designated Zip Codes; thus enabling our community to be on the lookout for each others' gear. Because now they know what it looks like (from your photo you've included in the KarmaAlert!), the serial #, a map of where it was stolen from and any other identifying marks, stickers, etc. Once someone sees your just-stolen X, they can immediately contact the person listed in the KarmaAlert.


Q: Are you looking for corporate participation? Sponsorships?

A: Yes. We have quite a master plan for KarmaArmy and we can collectively give back and generate positive karma. Our plan involves partnering with companies who share our core values and ethical standards. With the right partners, we can accomplish a great deal of good. If you see an opportunity to collaborate, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Q: Are you currently looking for interns?

A: Absolutely. We can work with remote interns & local interns (CT). Alternatively, if you're in agreement on how functional this community can be, please feel free to blog about it, Tweet it up. Share it on Facebook, etc. The only way KarmaAlerts will be most effective is the sheer number of eyes in your area who can be on the lookout. So we need to spread the word.

Q: What's the deal with the RSS Feed and Why Should I Subscribe?

A: THIS IS THE URL YOU CUT AND PASTE INTO YOUR RSS READER APPLICATION

http://www.karmaarmy.com/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=rss&no_html=1&Itemid=10

What is an RSS feed?

There are many sites available on the internet that describe what an RSS feed is, and how it works. At KarmaArmy we have explained it in simple terms that relate to our specific RSS feed.

An RSS feed provides you the subscriber with all of our latest headlines & KarmaAlerts. You can receive these headlines in one of two ways, either in your web browser or on your local machine straight from your desktop.

How does it work?

Each time you open your browser or reader software on your desktop, you will receive updates from our feed. You can look through our latest KarmaAlerts & headlines and decide which ones you want to read in full. When you have decided to read a particular article, simply click on the "more" link, or the headline (different readers provide various methods to see the full article) You will then be directed to the full article on our website.

Why have RSS?

As an RSS subscriber, you will receive our headlines as and when we receive/approve KarmaAlerts. By subscribing to our RSS feed, you will automatically be updated each time we add new KarmaAlerts You'll be able to see if there's been an Alert posted in your area and what you'll need to keep an eye out for!

Who should Subscribe?

Police Departments, Campus Security Offices, Bike , Ski & Board shops, Pawn Shops, Auction Sites, Forums (mtb forums, Road Bike, Ski & Board forums, etc.) and anyone else who would like to be instantly notified when a KarmaAlert is posted.

How much does it cost?

Nothing. This service is absolutely free.

How do I get started?

First of all you need an RSS reader. There are a number of readers available and we have listed a few of them below. All you have to do is click on one of the buttons to subscribe to that particular reader. You may have to sign up for the service and it is possible that each one will have different functionality. Unfortunately this is something we do not have any control over. Alternatively you can perform a search on Google or Yahoo or similar for "RSS Readers"

Please note, if you do not have an RSS reader when you click on our "Subscribe to our RSS" button, all you will see is gobbledygook!

You may want to play around with different readers as each have their own way of displaying the feeds that you subscribe to. Also you may want to subscribe to more than one feed as there are hundreds of different RSS feed providers out there, offering a number of different topics.

After you have chosen which reader you want, and you have installed it either in your web browser or on your desktop, simply click on our subscribe to our RSS feed button and you are away!!

If you would like to install our RSS feed on your website the URL you will need is as follows.

THIS IS THE URL YOU CUT AND PASTE INTO YOUR RSS READER APPLICATION -

http://www.karmaarmy.com/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=rss&no_html=1&Itemid=10

Q: WHAT DO I DO IF I RECEIVE A KarmaAlert! AND I SEE THE THIEF!?

A: Contact the individual who posted the KarmaAlert asap! Remember, the person you 'think' might be 'the guy who stole X' - might not be. So please contact whoever submitted the KarmaAlert. We do not suggest, condone, encourage, or support confronting someone in any way shape or form.


Q: How do I use the K.A. Web Badge?

A: Just log-in to your account, go to My Base Camp. The navigation that says, "Home, Profile, Friends, Applications, Inbox" Click Applications and simply add the Web Badge app to your Base Camp page. That's it. It'll just show up! Pretty cool! Now you can use it on your web pages, blogs, forum signatures, etc.