Virgin Media Phorm Webwise Adverts [Updated: See Post No. 1, 77, 102 & 797]

[AlexanderHanff]

Audio is up on https://nodpi.org

Alexander Hanff

[Edit] Bringing it down for a few minutes to try and fix the rss.

[Rchivist]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

Audio is up on https://nodpi.org

Alexander Hanff

[Edit] Bringing it down for a few minutes to try and fix the rss.

Thanks Alex. That sounds quite audible even in its raw form.

[AlexanderHanff]

Well that isn't raw, I have run it through some filters in Audacity, but I am no audio expert so I just did the best I could. I have a friend working on it though so hopefully a cleaner version will go up soon.

Alexander Hanff

[madslug]

Originally Posted by David F

I edited the first link out of the first post and the quote also just to be on the safe side Madslug please check your security and be careful what you post

Many apologies folks.

I have very high security settings on the browser I was using to visit those google cache pages (no 3rd party anything is requested or downloaded). Been right through the browser logs and see nothing requested from anywhere other than google or the 'original' site in the cache. Corrupted gifs on the domain? No javascript files were downloaded by my browser but it looks like some scripts on the page were expecting some variables from js (php?) as I have some error messages in the logs:
ReferenceError: Can't find variable: selectContentInit
TypeError: Value undefined (result of expression window.execScript) is not object.
TypeError: Value undefined (result of expression _b0.addBehavior) is not object.
ReferenceError: Can't find variable: urchinTracker

Next time I find an interesting cache, I will link to the text only version.

----------------

As most did not get to see the cache for the forum, dated 2004: basically falkag were not too fussy about whose ads they passed through their ad network and some sites where being offered ads which hosted/installed malware of the tracking and ad delivery variety. The domain registrations for the scripts show they were registered to GATOR. St.Petersburg and Ukraine get a mention too. ElReg was covering the story at the time as per links on the forum.

Shows what a small world it is and how once one bad apple gets into the basket, the rest seem so come around for the easy touch.

[popper]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

Audio is up on https://nodpi.org

Alexander Hanff

[Edit] Bringing it down for a few minutes to try and fix the rss.

i havent llistened to it yet but i noticed staight away putting it though http://www.headbands.com/gspot/ its showing as
22050Hz 128 kb/s , Monophonic
see OT #18 for more, and replys....

[AlexanderHanff]

OK who fancies having a crack at providing a transcript of the meeting? I certainly don't have time to do it until at least a week from now, but I have had several requests for one already so if anyone has a lot of time spare and would like to have a go, please feel free.

Alexander Hanff

[Florence]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

OK who fancies having a crack at providing a transcript of the meeting? I certainly don't have time to do it until at least a week from now, but I have had several requests for one already so if anyone has a lot of time spare and would like to have a go, please feel free.

Alexander Hanff

I will have a go later today Alex..

[AlexanderHanff]

Thanks

Alexander Hanff

Wow - I thoroughly enjoyed that - at times it was hard to believe he's a peer of the realm it must've been just like talking to an old friend!

Excellent - Big big thanks Alex

A few confirmations of what I thought was happening with regard to several issues - I loved the bit about the way in which the home office viewed Phorm (from a technological point of view)

"With some jealousy"



Took the volume down to -19.00 dB in my ancient version of Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge (pre Sony buy out) made it really easy to listen to (God know's why - it's been several years since I've used audio software)

[OldBear]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

Audio is up on https://nodpi.org

Alex, that was an excellent listen; I can see why you enjoyed it much.

Originally Posted by Paul Delaney

Wow - I thoroughly enjoyed that - at times it was hard to believe he's a peer of the realm it must've been just like talking to an old friend!

Totally agree, the Earl comes across as a very approachable man. Was also great to hear someone give straight clear answers and opinions, no BS, and not scared to honestly say something even when he knows you (or we) might not like hearing it.

Given everything I heard in that interview, I really think Emma Sanderson needs to reconsider what she told the BBC Breakfast program on April 8th, which was: (my bold)

We don't believe this is illegal; we have conducted extensive... er... legal, or sought extensive legal advice both internally and externally and prior to conducting this trial... em... you know... mm... ah... yeah, it's not illegal.

Erm... Emma, the Earl of Northesk doesn't agree with you.

Anyway, thanks Alex, thanks Lord Northesk.



OB

btw. It was a bit loud for me, so I ran it through a noise filter in my old copy of Audition (used to use it to clean up old, scratched vinyl for transfer to tape or CD), then dropped the volume a bit. Still got the odd background clatter, but it was 100% listenable.


Edit: Forgot to mention one of my favourite quotes from the Earl, (of which there were many). It's what I think Kent and Phorm should adopt as their new advertising slogan:

Phorm: It's a pretty unsavoury product!!

They could change their logo to a loaf of really green, mouldy bread.

[AlexanderHanff]

Just so you all know, the bit about copyright towards the end of the recording that I said I would take out, the Earl said it was fine to leave it in, so no-one needs to panic and think I have made a big bad mistake lol.

(I hope my missus and son didn't get woken up by the phone call or I am in doo doo).

Alexander Hanff

[tdadyslexia]

Alex you are amazing, that interview with the Earl was fantastic.

[Rchivist]

ICO has produced a report on whether town halls should sell edited versions of the voting register, to commercial firms. Some interesting quotes there.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7500826.stm

Quotes from article - I can see no link direct to the report and there is no mention of it yet on the ICO site


The government-commissioned report said allowing voters' details to be sold to commercial firms sent a "poor message".

It also said people should have a right to know who firms shared their details with and firms which deliberately broke privacy rules should face large fines.

The government said it agreed measures needed to be taken to increase trust.

across the public and private sectors data sharing was "shrouded in confusion" and the public had little insight into how their personal information was used.

It also recommended that the information commissioner be given powers to impose fines against private or public sector bodies which deliberately or recklessly broke privacy rules.

It suggested that internet sites which collected people's details from electoral rolls, company registers, telephone directories and website were a "worrying threat to privacy".

Dr Mark Wellport quote - part of report
"Many individuals are posting more and more personal information on the web and of course web technology means that it can be aggregated in a very powerful way."

I really musn't pinch any more of the BBC's copyrighttext but there are some interesting things there including government seemingly beginning to wake up to some of the implications of the internet.


And it is a busy day on El Reg for privacy too:

An article on the "Barnardisation" of anonymised data - Scottish ICO/Lords case on anonymised data - Lords say it is still personal data http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07...n_data_ruling/

Ofcom plan to make complaining easier http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/10/ofcom_adrs/

More on NebuAd - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07...out_revisited/
will they really opt people out, or will they sort of still be opted in? sounds very familiar to those of us listening to BT dithering over the issue.

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

OK who fancies having a crack at providing a transcript of the meeting? I certainly don't have time to do it until at least a week from now, but I have had several requests for one already so if anyone has a lot of time spare and would like to have a go, please feel free.

Alexander Hanff

Yes I would love to have a go at cleaning up the background noise without removing any verbal content, but would prefer the original raw, depending on what filtering you have applied any degradation of the voice content because of our combined efforts will be cumulative, ie the less filtering the better the end result I believe.

---------- Post added at 10:23 ---------- Previous post was at 10:00 ----------

Hmm, cant seem to edit my last post even though edit still available......

Anyway Doh!, just realised you were talking about transcripting it not editing the sound file.
And @Florence, not stepping on your toes here, realise you are already working on the transcript.

[bluecar1]

got to love it, more bad news for phorm

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07...aping_victory/

"Ryanair has claimed a German court victory against a tour company it has accused of screen-scraping its website against its wishes. The airline said that Hamburg Regional Court has awarded it an injunction against Vtours.

Screen-scraping is when one company takes information from another's website by automatically filling in forms and harvesting the results. Some travel companies scrape airline sites to offer their customers flights."

---------- Post added at 11:39 ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 ----------

more from the states

http://www.out-law.com/page-9248

i love the comment in there

"Citizens' rights pressure group the Center for Democracy and Technology has produced a report claiming that use of the technology could violate US anti-spying laws. "We conclude that the use of internet traffic content from ISPs may run afoul of federal wiretap laws unless the activity is conducted with the consent of the subscriber," said its report.

"When an ISP copies a customer’s communications or allows them to be copied by an advertising network, those communications have undoubtedly been 'intercept[ed]'," said the report. "Therefore, unless an exception applies, it seems likely that placing a device on an ISP’s network and using it to copy communications for use in developing advertising profiles would constitute illegal interception."

MY bold

and finally at the very bottom of the article

"NebuAd will appear before the Senate committee investigating online privacy. The Committee will also discuss privacy with Facebook, Google and Microsoft."

peter