" ... Actually, I'd like them to think the better of us beforehand ...."
Which was probably the exact wish and rationale of many people who have gone before you. But who ended up only getting rules against them to "address this pressing issue". Ie.: No one cared .... Until they askedThus, as you said earlier: let's keep these measures "off their table". That was a brilliant stroke of genius on your part.
And once again, let's see what the next couple of years brings and then we can recall this conversation at that time. Hope it's not a, "I told you this stuff was coming". 
Time will tell.
Did that "all day" yesterday....and I gotta tell ya....I was a tad bit sore today. A lot of clad but nothing shiny and exciting.
I know why do we want to be under the goverment controll more than we are now... I think that BIG SCOUP and HUNT-A-LOT both have been drinking to much to think stright or else work for the Goverment...but they are against us.......
My agent number is 007B.....couldn't get 007 as it had already been trademarked by another agent in the agency. The agency was founded in 1973 after the archeological community collected evidence and then partitioned the Federal Government for funding. Since that time the agency has grown to more then 1000 agents, with many of them operating in other countries. Of course, you'll never be able to prove it because we are even more secret and better protected then the CIA. 
..twin long range, super sensitive sending & receiving coils, just look around and watch the 3D display on the inside of the coil lenses. 
But all I can say is, that we will certainly have more restrictions if we go looking for sanctions, permits, and archies to love us. That's simply not going to happen. So if it's the lesser of two evils your after, then pre-emptive permits/licensing is not the solution.
This has an implicit assumption that laws/rules are necessarily going to come against us. Maybe they will. Maybe they won't. Maybe they'll stay the same. That is an unknown factor. You can say the sky is falling (and maybe it is), but you don't know it, as that's a future unknown. But one thing we DO know (and you will see ample solidarity with me on this in the recent posts bigscoop!) is that:
a) permits and govt. control aren't a good thing (as many people here, and yourself, agree).
b) asking for permits (if in a pre-emptive/pro-active fashion to "head off" supposed certain restrictions) can have the un-desired back-fire effect, of bringing on the very restrictions and attention, you sought to avoid! (in the same way there's ample stories of persons who went for permission, where none was required, and where no prohibitions existed, and got a "no" to their "pressing question", in essence, getting laws, and clarifications, or "policy" created where none existed before)
So if you have one thing that is "known" (that permits aren't good, and are an agreed upon evil), and if you have another thing that is UN-known (that there is necessarilly going to be an out-lawing of metal detecting), then it seems to me that the lesser of two evils is to NOT pro-act and pre-empt, lest it merely become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
big-scoop, I distinctly recall in the mid 1980s, as the first FMDAC newsletters made the rounds to clubs, that it was the same thing then: "Oh no, act now, coming to a city near you, we're doomed", etc... (how could anyone come to any other conclusion, after reading the scary stories in the letters afterall?). And here we are, nearly 30 yrs. later, and .... whatdayaknow, we can still detect. I know you're going to say "this time is different".
If so, that would be a good thing for the rest of us to know about.
I never said I was actively attempting to "preempt" anything, only that I was researching, investigating, and exploring the history and causes of some of these restrictions in an attempt to find alternate solutions, and that permits might be a part of the solution. I've not "turned around" and stated anything otherwise. I think you're assuming way too much. Have I spoken with various "powers to be" who have issued such restrictions? Yes I have, and I will continue to so that I can better understand the "real reasons" why a lot of these restrictions are/were put into place. After having spoken with some of these people, do I have reason to believe more restrictions will come? Absolutely! Do I think all of the recent exposure is bringing some of this about? Absolutely! In light of this, do I see a need to continue exploring alternate solutions? Absolutely! In my mind I'm being very "pro-active" VS turning the blind eye and hoping it will all just go away, as was usually the selected course in the past. And there you go, a short but brief summary of my personal position and my recent activities. Hope there's not too much left to be assumed here.
My previous post was pretty clear, honest, and straight forward. I could have sworn I said I had spoken with powers-to-be where restrictions and issues already existed in an effort to research the causes/reasons. Now suddenly, you have me speaking with powers-to-be where no issues or restrictions exist. I think you're applying way too much psychology in your thinking and that you're assuming way too much. See ya on the beach!
Now then, I heard a rumor that Tnet is thinking of giving you and I our own private forum just we can continue our circling debate there. 
