Quote:
Originally Posted by HamsterWheel
markt - I suspect you'll end up getting your wish. I think the delay in rollout has been caused by tweaking things to make it all like the TalkTalk model.
Once it is all up and running, BT etc can then start to turn the screw by offering those who do opt-in either a cheaper service or better speeds.
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As much as I hate to feed the troll... that last sentence just boils my blood. The net isn't supposed to be a tiered system where people with more money, or people willing to take advertsiements can get a better quality of service. It is meant to be neutral. Net Neutrality is the key principle of the internet, a principle that ensures everyone receives the same service regardless of the ISP they use.
Granted, some people will pay more for a faster connection, which is something I don't agree with. It is just another form of tiering, albeit one which allows someone with a tight budget to still get access to the internet.
But once the kind of systems that Phorm and NebuAd offer gain traction in ISPs, we will start to see a new level of tiering, a new kind of 'the haves and have-nots'. At the moment, the promise of these systems is that the adverts you see will be better targetted for you. The next step is to do as you suggest which is to offer more incentives for letting them monitor your intenet activity and make money off of it.
That is morally wrong.
If they need to make more money from their customers, they should increase the premium for the broadband service. Simply offering broadband cheaply(or for free) and then skimming surfing habits off of you in order to sell advertisers your eyeballs is thoroughly evil and needs to be stopped before it can begin.
As an aside, the whole cookie method of stating your preference for these systems is pathetic. For the privacy conscious, like myself, deleting cookies when you kill a browser session is the accepted way of protecting yourself. When the cookie is the only way of opting out of these systems, you will find that you may be opted in permanently for being a smart internet user and deleting your cookies.
The whole situation stinks. Moreover, it stinks of businesses once again thinking they have the right to any and all data they can get their hands on.