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

[Rchivist]

Originally Posted by Dephormation

Astonishing TV interview with Tim Smart CEO of BT Global Services UK.

Tim Smart discusses benefits and downsides of surveillance. Mentions monitoring verbal conversations and delivering contextual advertising based on the content of the conversation.

States that the challenge is making sure both parties to conversation find it acceptable.

Watch here (click on chapter 5 and 19 to skip to Tim Smarts piece)

My favourite quote is this one here in the second clip (Chap 19)

"Big businesses are unlikely to do anything that damages their brand in any sustainable way, so that gives us all cause for optimism."

Oh no of course not. How could they ever be so STUPID?

Originally Posted by Wildie

make sure the email has lots of adverts in it well the 2nd one you send off after your scanned it looking for key words to match the advert

How will this help the antiphorm cause?Spamming someone because they are in disagreement with what you support is disgusting..and totally against what this campaign is all about...

BT have always been the Internet user's enemy.

I remember having a heated discussion with a supervisor from their telco customer services in 1998 following a huge phone bill due to their insistance, at the time, that all Internet connections should be metered. I said then that they were standing in the way of technology to which he responded:

We own the wiring - all of it

Perhaps they consider Phorm as a method of getting that metered revenue back?

[Wildie]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

How will this help the antiphorm cause?Spamming someone because they are in disagreement with what you support is disgusting..and totally against what this campaign is all about...

it`s IRONY
you missed the smilly and the joke.

Originally Posted by Wildie

it`s IRONY
you missed the smilly and the joke.

I was thinking an irony smiley would be useful here

[Wildie]

Originally Posted by JohnHorb

I was thinking an irony smiley would be useful here

yeah well some ppl don`t understand that but we do learn as we go along on our way through life I think..

[bluecar1]

Originally Posted by JohnHorb

I was thinking an irony smiley would be useful here

you could always profile it and tag the 10 most common words and categorise them at the bottom of the email

that would be amusing

now what category would you put the words BT, Privacy, phorm and webwise into, (apart from obviously not in the same sentence)

answers on a post WITHOUT triggering the forum swear filter

peter

[isf]

Originally Posted by Paul Delaney

We own the wiring - all of it

Perhaps they consider Phorm as a method of getting that metered revenue back?

This is the same attitude displayed by US telco's in the net neutrality debate, they don't like that a free market will always work to reduce monopoly to commodity. The carriers see money in providing content and in what Google does so it's definitely a background issue.

Originally Posted by Wildie

it`s IRONY
you missed the smilly and the joke.

How does a smiley mitigate what you suggested?I saw no joke either...and IF I missed the joke so can others...

[popper]

Originally Posted by bluecar1

web wise's cookie handling is supposed to strip out the UID before passing the cookie to the website

so a server side swap of uid etc would not help

peter

perhaps something like this can help that ? anyone!...
http://www.rebol.org/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/rebol/search.r?find=https+tunnel&form=yes
an HTTP/HTTPS handler that transparently supports cookies

---------- Post added at 20:39 ---------- Previous post was at 20:33 ----------

Originally Posted by pseudonym

They WILL leak if a site uses https: for any of its content, they are also expected to leak if a site uses a port other than 80, because Phorm have stated that they only process traffic on port 80.

They MAY also be accessible using client side javascript.

http://www.rebol.org/cgi-bin/cgiwrap...script=proxy.r

REBOL [
Title: "REBOL HTTP Proxy"
Date: 13-Jul-2001
Name: "Proxy Server"
Version: 1.0.0
File: %proxy.r
Author: "Sterling Newton"
Purpose: {This script serves many purposes.
1. Act as an HTTP proxy
2. See what your browser sends out as an HTTP request
3. Add data filters to remove Javascript pop-up windows,
remove banner ads, and more...
Uncomment line towards the bottom of the script marked for JavaScript
to enable JavaScript popup window death!!}
History: {
...
"
http://musiclessonz.com/rebol_tutorial.html#section-25

[HaveToBeAnon]

Hi Guys,

Bit of background, I'm a BT employee and shareholder.

Just like to point out that within BT practically everyone who gets to know about webwise hates it too. It came as much of a suprise to us as it did you.Clearly the business cases doesnt stand up, so this is what I think happened. I have no direct evidence for this, just a gut feel and it seems to fit the facts, so make of it what you will.

This is what i think happened....

Phorm approached Statis Scleparis (excuse spelling), saying we can offer you this fantastic product, and also give you a highly paid job with us if you sign up to it. Stratis signs up, making sure as few people know as possible, and at first glance the product though it looks somewhat dodgy, isn't actually illegal (according to phorm) so why not sign up and take the cash? Of course the business case can't work if people know about it, so hush hush for a couple of years - which is why practically no one in BT knew about it. Not many people still know even know in a hands-on sense, as its my understanding that phorm are doing all the work, rather than BT people.

However the wheels are coming off the wagon. the more people know, the worse its getting, the campaign far from dieing away, instead is gathering pace as people come on board. Keep going guys, as every bit of publicity helps. You are steadily sending phorm to its death by a thousand cuts.

Remember the shareholders and BT employees that do know about it are on your side. (Apart from a handful of exceptions, and i suspect that privately they hate it too but have no choice). Most employees dont know any more than the general population, so when they plead ignorance, its true!

Finally, a suggestion for you all. In the publicity, emphasise WEBWISE, rather
than phorm. If the product is launched, then people will want to know "Should i sign up to webwise" - make sure thats near the top of any google searches. Phorm won't be on their radar, as its almost certainly not going to be mentioned on the sign-up screen.

Good luck with protest. I shall be there is spirit.

Anon.

[popper]

HaveToBeAnon

look forward to lots of informative posts from you and your friends when you tell them to come here and join in

remember,if you cant make it to the protest, you can still make your 30 second video or Audio protest with pictures (to stay anon OC) and link it into Alexanders NoDPI YouTube page...

[Rchivist]

Originally Posted by HaveToBeAnon

Hi Guys,

Bit of background, I'm a BT employee and shareholder.

snip of good stuff

Finally, a suggestion for you all. In the publicity, emphasise WEBWISE, rather
than phorm. If the product is launched, then people will want to know "Should i sign up to webwise" - make sure thats near the top of any google searches. Phorm won't be on their radar, as its almost certainly not going to be mentioned on the sign-up screen.

Good luck with protest. I shall be there is spirit.

Anon.

Welcome aboard. Great to hear what you have to say. Any tips for us about inreasing awareness?

Now that BT have an 0808 free broadband support number maybe all of us should ring at least twice a day to make more employees aware although I suppose they won't work for BT. (I got a UK one today but forgot to ask him about phorm/Webwise - sorry!)

Something that someone here might find useful?

http://www.pledgebank.com/

I haven't worked out what we might do with it yet. Ideas?

Hank

[warescouse]

Originally Posted by HaveToBeAnon

cut. ..
This is what i think happened....
...cut

I am certain most of what you say is possibly not far from the truth. As an ex BT employee with a technical background I certainly empathise with your feelings. Working for BT can be a very blinkering experience for most and it would not surprise me if only a handful of employees knew anything about Phorm/WebWise for quite a long time. Anyhow keep your head down and spread the word that we always will welcome information good to the cause.