OK...so if I've got this right..

According to what I've discovered thus far..

If Virgin Media go ahead with this then my browsing data will be
captured and then sold to a third party company who will analyze said
data to pick up on my browsing habits so as to target me for more
relavant online advertising.

Said third party company promise that they won't do anything with
confidential data like online banking information or other https
traffic.

I can at some stage elect to 'opt out' of this..
But as I understand from what I've read so far 'opting out' simply
means that I won't be targetted for the advertising..meantime by
browsing data is still catpured and passed onto the third party
company.

So what is to stop them passing on my browsing info to another company
who may target me with junk mail instead.

And where would my personal data end up ? some outsourced resource in
India ?

This sounds like complete madness !

I sincerely hope that other ISP's who decide not to go down this route
trumpet this from the hilltops.

I cannot honestly believe that Virgin Media are actually going to go
down this route.

I believe it's a feint to get BT and Carphone Warehouse to commit
where upon Virgin Media will do an about face and change their mind.

...here's hoping..

Jim.

On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:16:52 UTC, jdr.smith@virgin.net wrote:

Indeed:

http://www.aaisp.net/

--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

On 21/03/2008 08:16, jdr.smith@virgin.net wrote:

Correct

Because they don't know who "you" are, only which web sites a machine
with a certain cookie on it visited, of course they (or someone else)
might try to tie they information together and find who owns/uses the
computer, or may add 2+2 and get 9.

So when my wife sits at the PC and purchases something for my brithday
online..say a new watch for instance..

...a hour or so later my PC will start popping up adverts all about
watches therefore revealing what she may have secretly purchased for
me as a forthcoming gift...fantastic !

Well thought out isn't it..

Jim.

jdr.smith@virgin.net writes:

Surely that is counter-productive for the advertisers. The time to show
the adverts is while you are still looking prior to purchasing. Once you
have purchased, especially an expensive item, you are unlikely to
purchase an alternative in the immediate future. So once the purchase
has been made, advertisers of alternative products have missed their
opportunity. So while you are investigating the market, adverts for
similar products are appropriate, but once the purchase has been made it
would more appropriate to target adverts for accessories and other
items/services related to what was purchased. This applies equally to
goods and services. So for example while someone is researching
holidays, adverts for package holidays, resorts, price comparison sites
etc might be appropriate. Once the holiday has been booked, sending more
adverts for holidays would be a waste of time, but adverts for luggage
and items appropriate to the booked holiday (like sun protection and
swimwear for beach resorts, ski accessories for winter holidays, etc)
would be more likely to lead to a sale.

Which suggests it would be prudent of these companies not only to monitor
the browsing habits, but also the purchases, raising serious security
questions.

On 21 Mar, 13:26, "Trent SC" <Tr...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
scary stuff..

Jim.

<jdr.smith@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:793013e9-9a3c-4870-a660-5ada1a1fe9cb@a70g2000hsh.googlegroups.com

[snip]

: So when my wife sits at the PC and purchases something
: for my brithday online..say a new watch for instance..
:
: ..a hour or so later my PC will start popping up adverts
: all about watches therefore revealing what she may have
: secretly purchased for me as a forthcoming
: gift...fantastic !
:
: Well thought out isn't it..

My PC doesn't pop up any ads about anything.

http://adblockplus.org/en/


Ivor

<jdr.smith@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:2fac6182-499f-4c7e-96ad-c0650dc9aeaa@e6g2000prf.googlegroups.com
: On 21 Mar, 13:26, "Trent SC" <Tr...@invalid.invalid>
: wrote:

[snip]

: > Which suggests it would be prudent of these companies
: > not only to monitor the browsing habits, but also the
: > purchases, raising serious security questions.- Hide
: > quoted text -
: >
: > - Show quoted text -
:
: scary stuff..
:
: Jim.

"The Last Enemy" shown on BBC1 recently was scary stuff. What's scarier is
how close to it we really are.

Ivor

This isn't about pop-up windows (Jim used the term in a slightly "relaxed"
way). This technology takes a web page to which you've navigated that has
adverts on it, removes those ads and replaces them with its own advertisers'
crap, based on your personal browsing habits and history.

The technology as it currently stands is embedded into your ISP's systems
and only monitors http traffic; but it's reasonable to assume that the
monitoring/spying - through your ISP - could be extended to include SMTP,
UseNet and anything else it wants.

I would be interested to know just how much Phorm is offering to ISPs to
allow them access to our browsing habits.

In message <64i97jF2c74fdU1@mid.individual.net>, Ivor Jones
<ivor@thisaddressis.invalid> wrote
That isn't the solution. You may block adverts but your ISP will be
sending details of all your web activities on to a third party.

It is not the adverts that are the problem - its the privacy and
security issues that are important.

The targeted advertising, that you have chosen to block, will be the
first indication that someone has stolen your identity and is buying the
contents of a computer warehouse with your credit card

--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

Bob Eager wrote:

Which are incredibly poor poor poor value for money, though damn good
service.

Gaz

Gaz wrote:

Idnet are equally good I'm sure and cost a lot less.

Graham

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:58:29 UTC, "Gaz" <gazter@msn.com> wrote:

You miss the point. The service is part of the value. As is the
unlimited upload, the virtually unlimited download outside office hours,
the virtually instant access to a real techie...

And in my case, the 40 free static IP addresses...etc.

--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

In uk.telecom.broadband, on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:58:29, Gaz wrote:

It does depend on how you determine 'value'. I have an 'unlimited'
download (outside of the 'office hours'), and no other fetters. They
manage to provide me with ~3500kbs d/l service when every other ISP says
I can't get any sensible broadband on this line.

I have pretty good control of my zone file (how many ISPs provide that?)
- a /29 ipv4block for no extra charge (how many ISPs provide that?) -
IPv6 has worked (for me) from the start of my service some 3 years ago -
(how many ISPs provide that?) -

etc, etc.

On a second line (with entirely different characteristics, how do BT
manage that) I have a 'freebie' 1mbs Sky service. It works, sometimes.
It does nothing for me except connectivity for my younger son - and
although the link to Sky is always good, the links to the outside world
beyond Sky is AWFUL.

The best value isn't always the cheapest, and I note AAISP are pricing
themselves to discourage new customers for the time being to preserve
service for their current customers. Fine by me.

--
Jim Crowther

On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:30:09 +0000, Andy Burns
<usenet.jan2008@adslpipe.co.uk> wrote:

If you ever typed in your name or address into an insecure web form
then they would know who you are.

M.

On 21 Mar 2008 08:46:31 GMT, "Bob Eager" <rde42@spamcop.net> wrote:

And plusnet have stated they are not involved in this too.

M.

On 25/03/2008 16:04, Mark wrote:

Well, they could - if they wanted to collect more data than they've
stated they actualy do/will collect.

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:04:58 UTC, Mark <i@getlotsofspamthankstoplus.net>
wrote:

Given PlusNet's past record...

--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

"Mark" <i@getlotsofspamthankstoplus.net> wrote in message
news:fk8iu3dqtctth28mpb0otqsr1b1qtk648a@4ax.com...
Apart from their customers who are on the legacy Pay As You Go tariff and
who are using the trial RIN network.
I was but I switched back to the plusnet network as soon as I found out!

George