Members might be interested

[Rik]

To read this thread on ThinkBroadband.

There's more on this story at El Reg.

[madasahatter]

Nice to see that Simon has denied no such deal has been struck with IDNet, and I hope it never happens.

This kind of thing is very shady. I wonder if the ISPs that have already struck deals will be informing their customers of this? An opt out is mentioned, but how well the "opt out" be publicised?

Things that make you go hhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm eh? 

[Rik]

I'd regard such a deal as grounds to migrate (unless, of course, everyone had already signed up to it...).

[madasahatter]

That's the problem isn't it? Where do you migrate to if all ISPs sign up? What choice would you have then?

Can't see that happening myself, but hey - who knows

[Rik]

I don't think it would happen, but it's certainly a concern.

[madasahatter]

As has been said before, the ISPs with totally unrealistic subsription structures will be the main ones to go for this, but then if it does generate a decent revenue stream, whos to say that some (less reputable than IDNet obviously) of the smaller ones won't see it as a cheap way of printing money for themselves?

Don't think it should be allowed myself until the ISP has informed EVERY customer by letter, and each customer then has the choice to opt in. This "opting out" lark is just relying on customer inertia, and we all know that many customers will just accept it.

Would be interesting to see a legal standpoint on this, because in effect, phorm will be snooping on your activities without any real security implications, though i guess that this has already been addressed, and some legal bigwigs somewhere are in possession of a few brown envelopes full of coloured paper 

[Rik]

The lawyers will just be warming up for a class action.

[somanyholes]

The only way they will be able to do this is via http based services. Just stick adblock plus on and away the adverts go ...

I bet 1/2 the adverts will be for the isp's own services ...

phorm sounds a lot like farm to me .... datamining bast*rds

[Rik]

The only way they will be able to do this is over my dead body.  

[somanyholes]

there would be a big mound of bodies thats for sure

[Gary]

Considering my waistline these days I would agree but as you say, at least Simon has shown his feelings over the matter, but what concerns  me is that as the bigger ISP's with all you can eat offers suck up customers will the smaller ISP's have to resort to this to keep their heads above water

[Rik]

Time will tell, Gary, but look at the growth that we have seen in IDNet in the past few months. Every one of those new customers could have got a cheaper deal somewhere, so there still seems to be a market for quality, thankfully.

[somanyholes]

i may be wrong about this kill but I think the cap that idnet enforce gives them advantage over the large ones who don't have caps, (preparing to be corrected)

[Rik]

I agree with you. IDNet doesn't attract the 'eat all you can' consumers, so it's not going to appeal to the larger companies in the way that Pipex etc did.

[madasahatter]

i may be wrong about this kill but I think the cap that idnet enforce gives them advantage over the large ones who don't have caps, (preparing to be corrected)

You may be right (that makes a change  ). However, most of the big ISPs pull people in by calling their products unlimited, when we all know that they are anything but. All ISPs have caps in one form or another, be it an actual published cap, or a FUP etc, and I think many more people are getting wise to that, so that "advantage" is, to my mind at least, rapidly dissapearing

[Rik]

Hopefully, we are moving towards an era of openness and clear contracts... 

[madasahatter]

I taste ham - I wonder why? 

[Rik]

Because Sue has been bacon today?

[Gary]

i may be wrong about this kill but I think the cap that idnet enforce gives them advantage over the large ones who don't have caps, (preparing to be corrected)

That's what I am hoping for myself, all you can eat types don't even look at idnet thankfully and as Rik has said the customer base has grown a lot, it shows the market does need quality over quantity 

[Gary]

Because Sue has been bacon today?

I'm not sure many other ISP members could cope with that statement anyway Rik 

[madasahatter]

Because Sue has been bacon today?

what is she usually then Rik? 

[Rik]

 

I'm not sure many other ISP members could cope with that statement anyway Rik 

I like to keep on my trotters, Gary.

[Rik]

what is she usually then Rik? 

[madasahatter]

Seems like it's been going on for a while with a certain (dis)reputable ISP:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/27/bt_phorm_121media_summer_2007/

[Rik]

I saw that earlier.