Well I've decided I should after following this thread over the last couple of weeks say 'Hi' and thanks to all those who are doing their upmost to protect our online freedom, and keep us free to choose whether to give up our online security or not.
A couple of points however, I think you're putting too much faith in that 80\20 thinking guy, as I seem to recall he started out here saying how there was an opportunity for us all to get along, for Phorm to coexist and all live in some advertising utopia. PIA or no PIA, I can't help thinking that he's going to report that there's room for all concerned providing there's an opt-in clause of course. He seems to have missed the bit about it being illegal and that there may not infact be a utopia to live in. But like everyone else, I shall await the arrival of the PIA with interest.
With a view to raising awareness of phorm accross other forums etc. How about creating some kind of mini-banner or signature banner:
http://browse.deviantart.com/customi...ns/sigbanners/ that we can all download, then insert into our various forum signatures both here and elsewhere, they can also be used in emails too I believe. Perhaps a url to a short succinct list of facts could be embeded within it, so that anyone clicking it gets just that, the facts. I can't help thinking you guys are missing a trick here, as there are people out there that would download and display such a thing, just because it's popular to do so. So why not use such to your advantage.
As regards extra pulicity, perhaps you should start a mini-forum on somewhere like:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...play.html?f=67 as its fronted by a journalist\tv host he likes publicity and has a lot of dedicated fans who would be willing to spread the word. There's alot of people on there just itching to right a wrong by virginmedia and to assert their rights. Perhaps you could use that to further the cause?
There are also alot of people over there seeking deals from virginmedia and being offered advice on how to go about such dealings. Perhaps they wouldn't be so willing to take out short-term contracts when they realise they stand to be profiled and spammed throughout their whole surfing experience.
It seems to be the short-term contracts that virginmedia are most interested in, they seem to believe that once they have you you will be happy to have a ring stuck through your nose and they'll lead you where they want you to go. As a longstanding customer of some 10+ years, I can say that in my own case. That's not going to happen, if virginmedia decide they will remove my choice, I shall make one by removing myself from their customer base and make way for someone who will stop by for 12months and then chase the next good deal with three, orange or whoever gives them the best price on broadband. If virginmedia want to play fast and loose with our loyalty then they deserve everything they get.
Anyway, I shall leave those thoughts with you. I have written a few letters to various people like everyone else, I shall in the future be writing to virginmedia and stopping them from sharing my information with any other companies. If they decide they want to betray the trust of longstanding customers, I shall leave them to their fate.