Behavioral Targeting Ad Program

Posted on | March 13, 2009 | No Comments

It fills me with intimidation to read about Google’s new initiative; the behavioral targeting ad program. Am I the only one who thinks about 1984 and big brother in general when online habits are so thoroughly mapped and exploited?

EFF (Electronica Frontier Foundation) writes: “Today Google launched its behavioral targeting ad program, which it calls “interest-based advertising.” This move has been widely expected once Google completed its $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick one year ago today.

The issues with behavioral advertising have been with us for over a decade (DoubleClick was founded in 1996, and privacy issues soon followed), and have grown as more people use more services online and more information has become available about your online behavior. Many, including EFF, are concerned about behavioral targeting because it means that information about how you use the web is collected, stored and associated with a cookie on your browser, which can track you across different websites and online services.” Read the full article here.

Such an initiative cannot, thankfully, be launched without heavy counter reaction in the web-sphere. Slashdot has posted that “(…) in response to Google’s recently announced plans to expand the tracking of users, the international anti-advertising magazine Adbusters proposes that we collectively embark on a civil disobedience campaign of intentional, automated ‘click fraud’ in order to undermine Google’s advertising program in order to force Google to adopt a pro-privacy corporate policy. They have released a GreaseMonkey script that automatically clicks on all AdSense ads.” Read that piece here.

Brave New Films

Posted on | March 11, 2009 | No Comments

I would like to present a great phenomenon that I’ve learned of recently (from reading an article in Danish newspaper, Information – it’s in Danish, read it here). The phenomenon is a small compony by the name of Brave New Films, an Los Angeles-based independent film production company, founded by Robert Greenwald, specializing in creating amazing political short films aimed for viral distribution – through YouTube as well as through people’s own private networks. Something that has lead to screenings in community centers, work places and even private homes across the US. One of their productions, ‘Iraq For Sale’ (see trailer embedded below – and watch the entire movie, part 1, 2 and 3) has enjoyed more than 7,000 screenings in the US so far and is really causing awareness among citizens.

What an impressive way of utilizing the power of the Internet in getting a great message through. I’ve immediately signed up for the newsletter (so that I receive word of new productions) and will naturally engage as an active network node in their increasing grassroot world grid.

Sign up at their website.

NRK launches bittorrent tracker

Posted on | March 9, 2009 | No Comments

Interesting turn of events in the wake of the spectrial (the Pirate Bay trial in Sweden, read further below).
NRK, Norway’s public service channel, just announced that they are launching a bittorrent tracker based on the same code as The Pirate Bay (the OpenTracker software). Initially they’ll use it to offer their shows for download.

Read the original announcement on the NRK website.

Coen brothers’ comment on “clean coal”

Posted on | March 2, 2009 | No Comments

Check out this short film made by the Coen brothers commissioned by Thisisreality.org – it so puts the weird ‘clean coal’ notion into perspective.

Read the Boing Boing blog post where I found it.

Amusing letter to the CEO

Posted on | February 28, 2009 | No Comments

TorrentFreak has posted a very amusing and indeed spot-on piece build up over a letter to a software company CEO, made by a very dissatisfied business customer. The letter and the story describes so accurately the frustration caused by DRM in software. Please spend 3 minutes reading this, it’s hilarious and thought-provoking: How To Turn Customers Into Pirates.

Freeform101.org twitterstream

Posted on | February 21, 2009 | No Comments

Updates/headlines from this blog is now available through Twitter using the brilliant Twitterfeed service.

Sign up to receive updates here.

Pirate Bay spectrial detailed account tips

Posted on | February 21, 2009 | No Comments

If you are really into following the ‘spectrial’ closely, I suggest you keep an eye on TorrentFreak, that blogs daily from the court room. Also, signing up to TPB-member Peter Sunde’s live-tweets is quite interesting (and funny). Naturally, also his blog is a vital source of information.

Funeral for analog tv

Posted on | February 20, 2009 | No Comments

On a less serious note, the tech-geek inside me really enjoyed this little bit (see video below). It stars Bruce Sterling, whose book ‘Shaping Things’ I conincidentilly just picked up in Amsterdam.

Check out the Boing Boing blog posting (where I found the video).

Shooting in the NY subway

Posted on | February 19, 2009 | No Comments

All of us who has ever visited New York has sneaked into shooting a few pictures in the subway, even if it is not allowed. The setting is so compelling and each subway station has its own unique and indeed very photogenic identity that gives everyone with a camera an itchy trigger finger.

However, it turns out that photography down there is not illegal after all – but that does not mean that it won’t get you arrested. Confused? Read this blog post.

The Pirate Bay trial update

Posted on | February 17, 2009 | No Comments

As we hold our breath hoping that the Bit Torrent technology and ideology front line portal The Pirate Bay will not ordered to seize and desist, updates come in from all sides. A couple of select headlines: Making a “Spectrial” of it, Pirate Bay trial broadcast live – and also, the articles from the other side (IFPI).