Things are as far as I’m concerned pretty much in now. There’s the odd query or question regarding this system that I’d like clarification on but I’m not that fussed.

I’ve tried my best, although admittedly quite skeptical from the start to be fair and listen to what Phorm have had to say.

However, I’ve made up my mind. I am with one of the three ISP’s that are planning to implement this system and it is simple from my own perspective, I’m with Sir Tim Berners-Lee on this one as a consumer. If my ISP’s implement this system, they will no longer be my ISP. They may ‘just’ about get a reprieve if they configure their system in such a way that it constitutes a change in the terms and conditions of customers, that those who are in or out are handled at the ISP’s authentication level and that no part of my data stream goes anywhere near any bit of kit run by Phorm.

I think the problem is thus. It doesn’t matter about opt-out or opt-in cookies or any kind of guarantee that my traffic will not be analysed. It is now simply a matter of principle about what I as a customer want and how I consider the relationship with my ISP.

It’s pretty simple. I pay said ISP for a connection to the internet for a certain amount of bandwidth at a particular speed and they provide it. I don’t want content added, manipulated or impossible to block pop-ups on my screen.

I’ve spent far too much of my time messing around in both a professional and personal context with Windows based machines, hacking (manually in many cases) spyware, adware and viruses off them. I became fed up of spending my time having to deal with systems that worked in a way that meant I didn’t have control over what was going on. That’s why I run Linux, it’s about freedom, control over everything that I want on my system. It’s why I run Firefox because I can customise my web experience exactly the way I want it. Put short, it’s about individual freedom and choice, an underlying principle of the net.

This system and it’s future potential use if expanded to other areas like adverts before downloads or pop-up adverts between page loads isn’t what I want from my web experience.

It’s being marketed on the basis of providing two core enhancements to people’s web browsing. Anti-phishing technology that doesn’t seem to have any tangible benefits outside of what is already present in most good (or not good) browsers and ‘more relevant advertising’. From my perspective this is no benefit to me. I can spot a phishing site a mile off despite how clever it might be.

I don’t click on online adverts, I never have and never will because the internet for me is about finding things. If I’m after information or a particular product I’ll go out and look for it myself, adverts for me are nothing more than a waste of bandwidth.

Now if my ISP wanted to offer me a service that blocked all advertising I might well be up for that. It would save them bandwidth and costs and my web experience would be enhanced and if I could sign up to that as an individual customer, it be part of my terms and conditions then it would be great. I wouldn’t get any adverts that I’m not going to click on anyway, the ISP wouldn’t waste bandwidth serving me up adverts from sites because I’m not going to click on them anyway and the website publisher isn’t losing revenue from their adverts not being presented on my screen because, and I think I’ve mentioned it before, I’m not going to click on them anyway; everyone’s a winner.

I started a post last week about the dynamics in the market that are driving this situation, didn’t get it finished but will endeavour to this week.

Meanwhile, it’s interesting to note two things. Firstly the amusing revelation that Phorm, a company that it’s fair to say has a distinct competitor position to Google, uses Google’s services to monitor what people are saying about them online and secondly that no matter to whom I have discussed this issue, techie or non-techie, not a single person has said to me, yes, more relevant advertising, that’s exactly what I’ve been after all these years to enhance my web experience.