Free Phone Calls... If Advertisers Can Eavesdrop 246
Dekortage writes "Today, Pudding Media is introducing an Internet phone service similar to Skype's online service, but without any toll charges. The catch: they are eavesdropping on phone calls with voice recognition software to monitor calls, then push conversation-relevant the ads to the subscriber's computer screen. Interestingly, during tests, "conversations [were] actually changing based on what was on the screen," said the president. "Our ability to influence the conversation was remarkable.""
How do I tag? (Score:3, Insightful)
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Re:How do I tag? (Score:4, Funny)
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"The tags on the article were actually chaning based on what the first post recommended.", said one editor, "it was amazing how much he was able to influence the tagging." Or the like.
Re:How do I tag? (Score:5, Informative)
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If there were a tag, it would be passing fad.
This is like Net Zero free internet. Wow Free internet!! Wohoo where do I sign up.
We all know the outcome. Too slow, too many disruptions, requires non-standard browser, etc. People talked about the advertisements just like the first cell phone calls were mostly "do you know where I am calling you from? I'm calling from my car phone!"
Don't be fooled by the early indicators. People rarely talk about the fac
If I get this service... (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:If I get this service... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:If I get this service... (Score:5, Funny)
I rack my brain and all I can think is that
the president of this company is an insane,
i.e. deluded. The plan and the company will
bomb. Can you picture the all the national
explosive television news when a bunch of
senators get called and find THEY got recorded.
Gee, had they thought of that? The story isn't a
sleeper, sell newspapers is what it will do.
Oh cool, I just got this sweet offer for a complete box set of Friends DVDs.
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Fascinating (Score:3, Funny)
I mean - more ads for hookers and blow.
So, it's like the NSA... (Score:3, Interesting)
Seriously, though, I'm not to the point where my phone bill is so expensive I'd do this. Cable TV on the other hand...
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...but somebody is cashing in on ad revenue at the same time?
Seriously, though, I'm not to the point where my phone bill is so expensive I'd do this. Cable TV on the other hand...
That's what I thought initially, then I realized that the consumer is the one adapting to the business model. This means that instead of unknowingly and unintentionally giving up rights, the customer is completely in the know.
Additionally, they are offering you phone service in return, so for some people this may be a business model for them and they wouldn't mind the company "cashing in" on ad revenue instead of their own pocketbook. It's true that I wouldn't adapt to this, but I can see where it may b
Except that ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Except that this is a legal morass in the making.
Sure, they got an opt-in of the caller but do they have opt-in from the recipient?! So some imbecile calls you on that thing, and without warning you are being monitored/recorded by some inane corporate NSA-wannabe operation, with no idea by whom and where your call is being listened to, and retained for purposes you can't predict.
The only way I can see this being even remotely legal in many places is if you get a message in the vain of "The party calling you has opted for recording of this call for undetermined purposes by any and all corporate afilliates of afilliates of the NSA-wannabies who paid the sheep in question for his call, Press 1 to accept the incoming call, Baaaaah, Press 2 to indicate that you still have a brain..." or some such.
Re:Except that ... (Score:5, Insightful)
They are not keeping logs? Don't make me laugh. How would they even keep statistics of what is going on with their ad system?! How would they prove to their customers, the ad buyers, that they are actually popping them in context, instead of simply cheating and doing it at random?!
You've confused corporate-speak with reality.
In real life, in order to do voice recognition function, it has to be tuned on real data. In order to tune it, you have to collect samples, listen to them yourself and then compare the results to the automated recognition system. That is what they, by necessity, must do. Furthermore, the very process requires that your conversation is recorded, in some stages of the process, in digital form, even if that recording is supposed to be discarded further on. It is tivial for the employees or an unscrupulous business person to take advantage of that. And I guarantee you that in the fine, fine print of your "free service" agreement you agree to not hold them responsible should your conversations find their way to the "stupidest phone calls evah!" web site or some such.
In short, when you sign for this shit, you are as good as recorded for any and all uses the corporate crooks can think of today or will think of tommorrow.
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Really? Is it for the recipient of the call? How does he/she know that the call is being recorded?
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Really? Is it for the recipient of the call? How does he/she know that the call is being recorded?
They probably don't. Most states (38/51) are single party notification states [rcfp.org]. See also Wikipedia on Telephone Recording Laws [wikipedia.org].
This may be the dark side of single party notification laws; which generally are a good thing as they allow a consumer to record abusive collections calls, sales offers, and customer service calls without having to scare off the representative on the other end of the line, and "catch them in the act". How many times have you talked to someone from a co
Test Conversation (Score:5, Funny)
Bob: Oh yeah? Oh, is that the free phone calls with conversation-relevant ads showing up on your screen?
Phil: That's right, it's completely free!
Bob: Heh, monkey sex.
Phil: Uh, what?
Bob: Monkey sex!
Phil: Ew, gross, stop that.
Bob: Beastiality.
Phil: Oh yuck, these flash based ads are
Bob: Goatse.
Phil: Ahhhhhhhhh! *click*
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Telemarketer: How about a nice holiday in Sweden?
Bob: Who was that?
Phil: Excuse me, I have to go sack somebody.
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Chaffing the system (Score:3, Interesting)
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This is how it works... (Score:5, Funny)
Me: Hi boss, I was thinking about a raise...
Boss: Hi. Er, did you know you can get herbal viagra?
oh boy! (Score:2)
Please stop the ads (Score:2)
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If you don't accept that there are ads, and you don't want to pay a subscription, who do you expect to pay this for you?
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What does this have to do with Slashdot subscriptions?
And you got modded up for that non sequitor?!
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Re:Please stop the ads (Score:5, Funny)
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(And stop whining about stuff you want for free).
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(And stop whining about stuff you want for free).
I would be curious to know how much cable television would cost if it didn't allow the channels to display advertisements.
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Been there. Done that.
Buy a magazine - ads
Rent/Buy a movie - ads
Go see a movie - ads
Pay TV - ads
Buy a news paper - ads
Satellite radio - ads, not many, but they're creeping in
Rent/Buy video games - ads, not many, but they're creeping in
Really, paying for content does not make it ad free, and content providers, even the ones that made 'ad free' part of the proposition eventually succumb and show you ads -- few ads maybe, but capitalism dictates they'll show you just as many ads
Time to learn an obscure foreign language (Score:2)
Seriously, though. People that go for this are dumbshits.
Re:Time to learn an obscure foreign language (Score:5, Insightful)
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Esperanto anyone?
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If you want to confuse this service do what the USA did in WW2 on the Pacific theatre. They did not use codes for a lot of the communications. They drafted Cherokee indians instead. The japanese never managed to decipher that and it all sounded to them like blablah.
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Igpay Atinla uoldshay ebay oughenay otay oolfay isthay.
Congratulations, you just won 73 screenfuls of auction website advertising!
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Three words. (Score:4, Insightful)
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hmm (Score:5, Funny)
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Which coincidentally brings to mind many ideas about how to mess with this system- some sort of voice encryption algorithm, or even using it as a data modem (?).
riight. (Score:5, Insightful)
http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/speaking_clock.htm [telephonesuk.co.uk]
Seriously, this sounds a little intrusive. Voice recognition my ass, I bet there is a clause in their contract stating the call may be recorded for future training, enhancement, fun, profit and any damn reason they like. 'Scuze me while I reach for my phrases and codes book.
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Share and Enjoy!
What numbers do they use? (Score:4, Interesting)
Now, consider what scumbags like Comcast could do with this. They bundle phone, cable, and Internet. So they could tweak not just your banner ads, but also your TV ads (using an upgraded on-demand system). And they could use peeping on one service to affect the others. For example, they could change your web ads based on what shows you watch. The only question is whether they think the cost in lawsuits (from other advertisers and customers) would be worth it. Hmm, maybe they can tie it into the DHS "we need retroactive immunity for any crime on the grounds that it would be bad for business for us to be subject to the law" stuff. Obviously the program could service "national security" purposes as well.
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In some states, California for instance, if the call is not being monitored or recorded by law enforcement under warrant then both parties must be informed and give their consent to the call being recorded. Usually it is one party or another to the call who is doing the recording, in which case they must notify the other party and receive their consent, but in this case the third party monitoring
There aren't only downsides... (Score:2)
So what
Why are all my ads about... (Score:3, Funny)
wait a sec. Some men in black are knocking on my window. brb.
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wait a sec. Some men in black are knocking on my window. brb.
Say hey to Will Smith for me.
What is this madness????? (Score:5, Funny)
"Well, sure, but not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio... and in magazines... and movies, and at ballgames, and on buses, and milk cartons, and T-shirts, and bananas, and written in the sky. But not in dreams, no sirree."
Time to brush up on that Klingon.... (Score:2)
But then watch th EULA for these things. "We limit the right to speak only English on these phones"
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So this service is not available in Loisiana and Alabama?
I've never seen a better reason... (Score:2)
Opi properfoper opop. (Score:2)
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Screw Content, What About Remediation? (Score:2)
Advertising Content is a commodity. That is not the concern.
What I wonder what the law says about computer-based eavesdropping? If a crime is plotted or committed over this line, does it make the software complicit?
So it doesn't record the whole conversation but merely responds to voice triggers for pushing ad content, are there triggers for words like murder, crime, assassination, or vice? And what about other languages?
Hoo-boy, welcome to the litigious states of america. I don't think this company has
It'll fail. (Score:4, Interesting)
Of course: DURING TESTS. The sole purpose of the test is to test what they're testing, so it's the subject of interest without any magic required. How about influencing a real world call, emergent call, bad news call, good news call. Anything-else-than-playing-with-the-system call.
And their scheme has a flaw: I can keep talking with my screen turned off. Their advertisers better be dumb enough not to figure out that one.
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"Your free seconds have expired, please praise the product displayed on your screen to continue this call"
format soon enough.
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911 operator: "911 what is your emergency?"
Female voice: "Oh my god lady you have to help me, I heard a noise-"
911 operator: "Are you in your house?"
Female voice: "Yes I'm in my study and there was a sound like a broken window hey look I can upgrade to Vista for just $99-"
911 operator: "Police are on the way, can I confirm your address?"
Female voice: "Yes I live on 123 Elm Street oh neat I didn't know Domino's delivered here"
911 operator: "Are you alone
Great! (Score:2, Interesting)
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Odd combination (Score:5, Funny)
My god what's next?? (Score:5, Funny)
What's next? Free comment-sections on websites?
How could anyone subject themselves to such a sacrifice of personal liberties.
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What's that smell? (Score:2)
No, this is worse (Score:2)
If ever Pig Latin had a use . . . (Score:2)
Useless (Score:2)
I predict the imminent demise of the entire concept of 'long distance' and tolls.
Hopefully soon 'per minute' charging (regardless of wether its a flat rate for x-thousand minutes, or a meter running with post-use billing) for cell airtime will die too.
While I personally... (Score:5, Interesting)
If I have to see advertisements everywhere, I don't want to see shit for Viagra or a low mortgage rate...I want to see ads for video games, horror movies, fetish stores, and computer equipment.
Seriously, there is no way to escape advertisement (yes, I know there is AdBlock and NoScript), so why not at least have advertisements that you would be at least REMOTELY interested in? Target audience and all that... If Comcast knew what kind of products I was interested in and I got to see ads for only those type of products while watching what little TV I watch, I would be much less inclined to leave the room or fast forward on Tivo. Instead, I get stuck with commercials for tampons and "beer" (i.e. watered down piss...I love being from and living in the USA, but christ we have NO tatse in beer)
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If tatse is *anything* like goatse, I'm really glad we don't have it in beer. Even if it's like tsetse, I'm *still* glad it's not in our beer.
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NSA Front Company? (Score:2)
That was close... (Score:2, Funny)
Multiple desktops (Score:2)
They've been doing it to me for years (Score:2)
Voice recognition liability (Score:4, Interesting)
3rd eye (Score:2)
Did they get people second hand from government testing to try this out or somthing ?
How sad and un-original... (Score:2)
Free calls for everyone! (Score:4, Funny)
So why aren't all of our calls paid for by the US Government, then?
Do NOT use that for CS (Score:2)
The worst thing is that I could see this succeed. People don't care jack about anything, and certainly not their privacy, if they could somehow save a few cents.
Cool!!!! (Score:3, Insightful)
Now I just need to figure out if someone I know is using the service....... So I can sell them a Bridge........
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Since this service is recording phone calls I imagine the company might want to keep the data for a "reasonable" time. I wonder if it could be used to prove alibis and such? Very interesting times indeed.
Lemme correct that statement:
Since this service is using voice recognition on phone calls I imagine the company can't keep the data for a "reasonable" time. there's no way this could be used to prove alibis and such? Very interesting times indeed.
Using voice recognition and voice recording are completely different. voice recognition can, and in this case DOES happen on the fly
FTA:
Mr. Maislos said that Pudding Media had considered the privacy question carefully. The company is not keeping recordings or logs of the content of any phone calls, he said, so advertisements only relate to current calls, not past ones, and will only arrive during the call itself.
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OTOH, if the ad changes the conversation to discuss the advertised product/service/topic, then that's a huge success in marketing -- the online ad has suddenly converted into WORD OF MOUTH to the person on the other end of the line.