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

[CaptJamieHunter]

It's funny on that Google Finance page http://finance.google.com/finance?q=LON:PHRM it makes no mention of any of The Register's reports.

So how do we get the BBC to report on this latest story?

[lostandconfused]

Were the people that were part of the BT trial, albeit afterwards?

If not then it could be any BT customer?

[AlexanderHanff]

Some dodgy buys going on again today. I noticed this last week as well, high buys coming in after multiple low sales. I know nothing of stocks but it just seems odd to me that people would buy stock at a higher price than the markets indicates. Has happened 2x today so far.

Alexander Hanff

[3x2]

Originally Posted by CaptJamieHunter

So how do we get the BBC to report on this latest story?

You don't - they apparently consider the routine wire-tapping of millions of people a bit of a protest group issue.

I have to say that the BBC have been off my list of news sources since their initial article (not that they have written much since). It was simply a cut and paste of Phorm PR and said basically "nothing to see here move along". How wrong can an organisation the size of the BBC be? Darren Waters "Technology editor, BBC News website" should publicly apologise.

[CaptJamieHunter]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

Some dodgy buys going on again today. I noticed this last week as well, high buys coming in after multiple low sales. I know nothing of stocks but it just seems odd to me that people would buy stock at a higher price than the markets indicates. Has happened 2x today so far.

Alexander Hanff

Buying to try and keep the share price above a certain point? The more places that hear about the latest Phorm/BT revelations the better - I'd hope it would really hit the share price.

---------- Post added at 14:38 ---------- Previous post was at 14:35 ----------

Originally Posted by 3x2

You don't - they apparently consider the routine wire-tapping of millions of people a bit of a protest group issue.

I have to say that the BBC have been off my list of news sources since their initial article (not that they have written much since). It was simply a cut and paste of Phorm PR and said basically "nothing to see here move along". How wrong can an organisation the size of the BBC be? Darren Waters "Technology editor, BBC News website" should publicly apologise.

In wartime Mr Waters might well have been accused of being a collaborator. Their initial article was a disgrace and unworthy of being called journalism.

Journalism is what The Register is doing on this issue. "Protest group issue". Not now it isn't.

[Edit] A mate of mine just posted to the BBC via their newswatch section. With a little input from the Captain

"Why hasn't the BBC Technology pages given more coverage to the issues surrounding the proposed tie up between 3 of the UK's major ISPs and Phorm, a company with a questionable product and a questionable past?

I suggest that a few blog posts and copying chunks of Phorm's PR statements here and there do not qualify as proper investigative journalism. You will be aware that there is a growing backlash against Phorm particularly because in the eyes of many Phorm's "product" breaches the Data Protection Act and the RIPA legislation as well.

The Guardian newspaper recently rejected Phorm saying that it doesn't fit with the values of their business. I saw no mention of that on your website. Surely BBC News holds values similar to The Guardian and takes them as seriously?

Today The Register has revealed that "BT secretly intercepted and profiled the web browsing of 18,000 of its broadband customers in 2006 using advertising technology provided by 121Media, the alleged spyware company that changed its name to Phorm last year."

That means that 18,000 customers had their web browsing data passed to Phorm without their consent. That is illegal wiretapping.

Please tell me how that story is not newsworthy?

Surely BBC News has a remit to educate and inform. 18,000 people have been illegally wiretapped. Surely that's a story woth pursuing?

It's not just a protest group issue. It's about the routine wiretapping of internet users. Something one might only have expected in a dictatorship."

[AlexanderHanff]

Originally Posted by CaptJamieHunter

Buying to try and keep the share price above a certain point? The more places that hear about the latest Phorm/BT revelations the better - I'd hope it would really hit the share price.

Yeah it -looks- like someone is buying to try and keep the price around the £17 a share mark, but this is purely speculation as I said I know nothing of stocks. If the price continues to drop I fail to see how Morgan and Stanley are going to be willing to pay £20 a share at the end of month if they can buy them on the open market for £14 or £15 a share; so it would seem it is in the best interests of Phorm (and their investors) to keep the share price as close to or above £20.

When you further consider that in Phorm's own press release on the Morgan Stanley deal they stated they would be using the revenue to fund UK deployment, even the casual observer can see that a 25-30% decrease in investment on that sort of scale could seriously jeopardise the project from going ahead.

But as I said, just speculation

Alexander Hanff

---------- Post added at 14:48 ---------- Previous post was at 14:42 ----------

Maybe the ever lurking PhormUKPRteam could answer that last question

---------- Post added at 14:51 ---------- Previous post was at 14:48 ----------

I notice PhormUKPRteam haven't contributed to my karma on the forum, how unsporting :p

[OF1975]

Google's April fool is out of this world:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle3659176.ece

"Google and Virgin Group this morning announced a joint-venture aimed at creating a human settlement on Mars by 2050, in a project the two companies called the Virgle."

Hey Virgin Group, instead of wasting time with lame April Fools jokes why dont you get off your a$$es and come address your Virgin Media customers concerns regarding Phorm.
I am getting more and more irritated by your companies silence on this issue. If you have time for April Fools Jokes then you have the time to deal with this more urgent matter.

[AlexanderHanff]

http://www.badphorm.co.uk/e107_plugi...topic.php?2579

See Frank's post (post #9 @ 2.52pm)

[OF1975]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

http://www.badphorm.co.uk/e107_plugi...topic.php?2579

See Frank's post (post #9 @ 2.52pm)

Duly noted.

[CaptJamieHunter]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

http://www.badphorm.co.uk/e107_plugi...topic.php?2579

See Frank's post (post #9 @ 2.52pm)

That would be nice. Would be even nicer if someone could either link to an online video of it I'm without tv here and although I'm loving the tv free existence I would like to see this report when it happens.

[AlexanderHanff]

Originally Posted by CaptJamieHunter

That would be nice. Would be even nicer if someone could either link to an online video of it I'm without tv here and although I'm loving the tv free existence I would like to see this report when it happens.

Well Frank was one of the victims of the 2007 trial so his comments regarding criminal action are interesting too.

Alexander Hanff

[Portly_Giraffe]

Well here's something interesting. On 18th March I wrote a firm letter to Virgin Media pointing out the obvious. I also wrote a brief letter to Sir Richard Branson pointing out the damage Phorm could do to the whole Virgin brand, not just Virgin Media. This afternoon Virgin Media Customer Care in Sheffield called me back and stated that yes, the Phorm deal was seen as potentially damaging to the Virgin brand, and also unequivocally that Virgin Media were not going to do business with Phorm.

Should I believe them?

[AlexanderHanff]

Sadly I have to report that I must step down from this campaign. Earlier this afternoon some strange burly men with Baltic accents visited our house. When we answered the door we were greeted with IDs claiming they were from a meter reading agency and needed to check our gas and electric meters, so we let them in.

Everything seemed to be ok until they started speaking to each other in Russian and moving towards my 2yr old son who ran to hide behind my legs, screaming "Daddy Daddy!!"

I asked to look at their IDs more closely and upon inspection noticed that the photos had been attached with Bluetac. They realised I had sussed something was wrong and explained they were with a Rusian "business" group and that their investors were concerned about a man in the UK called Alexander Hanff who is making a lot of noise over the deployment of Phorm technology throughout UK ISPs. They indicated that it would be in the best interests of myself and my family if I was to shut up on the issue otherwise less "nice" men might pay us a second visit.

Alexander Hanff

[OF1975]

Originally Posted by Portly_Giraffe

Well here's something interesting. On 18th March I wrote a firm letter to Virgin Media pointing out the obvious. I also wrote a brief letter to Sir Richard Branson pointing out the damage Phorm could do to the whole Virgin brand, not just Virgin Media. This afternoon Virgin Media Customer Care in Sheffield called me back and stated that yes, the Phorm deal was seen as potentially damaging to the Virgin brand, and also unequivocally that Virgin Media were not going to do business with Phorm.

Should I believe them?

Call them back and ask them to confirm in writing what they have told you.

---------- Post added at 15:32 ---------- Previous post was at 15:28 ----------

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

Sadly I have to report that I must step down from this campaign. Earlier this afternoon some strange burly men with Baltic accents visited our house. When we answered the door we were greeted with IDs claiming they were from a meter reading agency and needed to check our gas and electric meters, so we let them in.

Everything seemed to be ok until they started speaking to each other in Russian and moving towards my 2yr old son who ran to hide behind my legs, screaming "Daddy Daddy!!"

I asked to look at their IDs more closely and upon inspection noticed that the photos had been attached with Bluetac. They realised I had sussed something was wrong and explained they were with a Rusian "business" group and that their investors were concerned about a man in the UK called Alexander Hanff who is making a lot of noise over the deployment of Phorm technology throughout UK ISPs. They indicated that it would be in the best interests of myself and my family if I was to shut up on the issue otherwise less "nice" men might pay us a second visit.

Alexander Hanff

Good one. Wondered who would be the first here to post a Phorm-related april fools joke.

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHanff

Sadly I have to report that I must step down from this campaign. Earlier this afternoon some strange burly men with Baltic accents visited our house. When we answered the door we were greeted with IDs claiming they were from a meter reading agency and needed to check our gas and electric meters, so we let them in.

Everything seemed to be ok until they started speaking to each other in Russian and moving towards my 2yr old son who ran to hide behind my legs, screaming "Daddy Daddy!!"

I asked to look at their IDs more closely and upon inspection noticed that the photos had been attached with Bluetac. They realised I had sussed something was wrong and explained they were with a Rusian "business" group and that their investors were concerned about a man in the UK called Alexander Hanff who is making a lot of noise over the deployment of Phorm technology throughout UK ISPs. They indicated that it would be in the best interests of myself and my family if I was to shut up on the issue otherwise less "nice" men might pay us a second visit.

Alexander Hanff

I sincerely hope I am wishing you a happy all fools day.

Thing is, if someone has posted an announcement in the News section today saying that VM and their companions were going to start examining all your internet data so they could serve you better targeted adverts someone else would be replying, ha ha, good april fool.