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

[davethejag]

Hi, the news item has arrived in Computer Active as Alex said. -

http://www.computeractive.co.uk/comp...prompt-protest

Dave.

[SMHarman]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/ > scroll down. At least it is linked from the front page today.
Top technology article today.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7438578.stm

Originally Posted by BBC News

BT should face prosecution for its "illegal" trials of a controversial ad-serving technology, a leading computer security researcher has said.

Dr Richard Clayton at the University of Cambridge made his comments after reviewing a leaked BT internal report.

The document reveals details of a 2006 BT trial with the Phorm system, which matches adverts to users' web habits

"It's against the law of the land, we must now expect to see a prosecution," he told BBC News.

But BT plans to push ahead with a further trial of the technology later this summer, the BBC has learnt.

"We have not announced a date yet; we are still planning - it will be quite soon," a spokesperson told BBC News.

Revelations about earlier trials have prompted some customers to organise protests in London to coincide with BT's AGM on 16 July.

[Rchivist]

At last - the leaked trial document got to the mainstream media
BBC Technology - you just beat me to it. I was visiting the page to see if it was there, if not to send them details.
And I've dugged it/digged it/stuck a spade in it/whatever.

I've also sent that link to the Today programme.

[Dephormation]

Originally Posted by SMHarman

http://news.bbc.co.uk/ > scroll down. At least it is linked from the front page today.
Top technology article today.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7438578.stm
BT should face prosecution for its "illegal" trials of a controversial ad-serving technology, a leading computer security researcher has said.

That's the first article the beeb have published since 22 April.

Their coverage of this scandal has been lamentable.

[BetBlowWhistler]

Can someone help me out here.

I've been trying to search on Digg for the article that Alex wrote..

"http://digg.com/tech_news/BT_commited_113_million_allegedly_illegal_acts_in_ 8_days"

by using various search terms. Nothing, nada. It says something about trying to search in 'upcoming stories' but that doesn't work either.

How would I find this without the direct link?

[Frank Rizzo]

It got buried.

You need to check the box Include Buried Stories.

[Dephormation]

Originally Posted by R Jones

At last - the leaked trial document got to the mainstream media
BBC Technology - you just beat me to it. I was visiting the page to see if it was there, if not to send them details.
And I've dugged it/digged it/stuck a spade in it/whatever.

I've also sent that link to the Today programme.

iPM? If Today won't pick it up we might be able to get it on iPM on 7 June.

BBC is supposedly "free from both political and commercial influence and answers only to its viewers and listeners".

[JackSon]

Originally Posted by BetBlowWhistler

Can someone help me out here.

I've been trying to search on Digg for the article that Alex wrote..

"http://digg.com/tech_news/BT_commited_113_million_allegedly_illegal_acts_in_ 8_days"

by using various search terms. Nothing, nada. It says something about trying to search in 'upcoming stories' but that doesn't work either.

How would I find this without the direct link?

I had no joy with digg's search mechanism. Slapping this "site:digg.com bt trials illegal" into google did work, however, not the point I know.

[BetBlowWhistler]

Originally Posted by Frank Rizzo

It got buried.

You need to check the box Include Buried Stories.

First - that didn't work either. I clicked the box marked 'upcoming' on the upper rhs of the page and then searched, but once in the searach area there isn't anything that mentions 'upcoming'

second - why is it buried? Not sure I understand digg

[Frank Rizzo]

Try this search term:

It searches in All sections, all area, search-buried, and ranks by number of diggs.

http://digg.com/search?s=Phorm&submi...=all&sort=most

As for it being buried I think we must have tripped one of the spam traps. Digg won't give reasons why or if individuals buried it, or if it is just temporarily suspended and will be released again.

[BetBlowWhistler]

Originally Posted by Frank Rizzo

Try this search term:

It searches in All sections, all area, search-buried, and ranks by number of diggs.

http://digg.com/search?s=Phorm&submi...=all&sort=most

As for it being buried I think we must have tripped one of the spam traps. Digg won't give reasons why or if individuals buried it, or if it is just temporarily suspended and will be released again.

Thanks, I see where I was going wrong now

[Florence]

Originally Posted by Frank Rizzo

Try this search term:

It searches in All sections, all area, search-buried, and ranks by number of diggs.

http://digg.com/search?s=Phorm&submi...=all&sort=most

As for it being buried I think we must have tripped one of the spam traps. Digg won't give reasons why or if individuals buried it, or if it is just temporarily suspended and will be released again.

That search worked I copied and pasted and it hads part hidden so didnt work first time

[mark777]

Originally Posted by Frank Rizzo

digg: I suspect they have some kind of sandboxing going on to prevent spammers manipulating the site.

unfortunately it looks as if rapid digging emanating from one link source (say nodpi or here) incurs a penalty.

Far better to post a link to the digg article from many different sites rather than dozens here clicking the same link and then digging.

---

Further to the above just found some more suggestions:

* Mail users the link and get them to dig it via the mail link
* Locate the story from the Digg/Upcoming queue and tell people to digg it from there.
* On your page use the official "Digg This" icon.

Originally Posted by Wildie

Also be wise to not click but copy and paste in the bar.

Given this, if a URL to digg is posted in future, should we :-

Copy the URL.
Visit a random site elsewhere.
Paste the Digg URL and digg from there.

Presumably the refering site would then be the random site visited?

We need to try to clarify this else there will be a lot of wasted effort/opportunity.

[Frank Rizzo]

I would suggest either of the following:

* Clicking on the Digg link direct from the article page. (Note that the article should also display the Digg Icon. Not for brownie points but so that Digg regulars will be inclined to dig it - like a prompt to action).

or

* Visiting the Digg homepage, navigating to where the digg article is (upcoming, technology) and digging there.

[Dephormation]

I just mailed iPM 'suggest a story';

ipm { at } bbc.co.uk