Would You Trade Your Privacy For Free Calls?
from the hope-not dept
We've been arguing for a while that cheap phone calls aren't what should make VoIP compelling. Rather, providers should focus on more compelling applications and offerings (or, better yet, opening up and letting others develop those apps to make their service more valuable). However, as the race to ever cheaper calls continues, one new firm is offering up a VoIP service that seems to be pretty questionable. The system basically works like the early Dialpad offering from many years ago. You go to a website, and can punch in your phone number and the phone number of someone you want to call, and the system will call both of you and connect you. It's also free for up to five minutes. Nothing particularly new or interesting there. Then comes the fine print which (of course) no one reads. Turns out that as you're agreeing to use the system, you're also opening up your computer to them and granting permission for them to spy on everything you do. While it's likely this may just be the result of a typically over-reaching lawyer writing up a ridiculous terms of service, it still reflects poorly on the offering.
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No Subject Given
As for the comment about the race for ever cheaper calls… There is a reason for it, people want cheap calls. 16 of the 17 people I know who use voip as their primary telephone service do so because of the price. The 17th person does so because he had a horrible experience with the telco years back and won’t deal with them again.
No-one I have ever met, or talked to, would choose voip only because of the features.
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get an old computer and beat the spys
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I've seen Comcast offering some services.
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Virtual?
Go ahead and setup a VM on your box for doing such VOIP-bugged, Luxemburg legalized phone calls for free. They can't look at any other VM's, just the one you have the software installed on (which would hopefully be rather minimal in function and scope--maybe a good use for that ancient copy of Win98... :) ).
Do your real work in a different virtual machine.
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Re: I've seen Comcast offering some services.
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You get what you pay for...
(Take the most common one I've run across: WeatherBug)
As the adage goes, "if it sounds too good to be true..."
Research your contracts and if you don't agree with the cost/value defined then, simply don't use the service.
Ultimately this comes down to educated consumers but considering e-mail scams are still so effective...
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Re: No Subject Given
Here's a tip: don't talk about something if you know nothing about it. :x
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Re: Would You Trade Your Privacy For Free Calls?
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Well...
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Re: get an old computer and beat the spys
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Oh well
Yeah right. I have time warner digital phone service packaged with roadrunner and cable tv, etc etc. So it's pretty well setup, and definitely well priced in comparison with most.
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"This information may include the URL from which You arrived, the next URL You may visit, what browser You are using and your IP address."
That's just general info embedded in every web request you make by your browser.
They also reference:
"JAJAH may collect information about any activity being performed by You while using the Product, including any correspondence between you and other users of the JAJAH site, messages left by You on any board or any searches and requests performed by You."
They're simply referring to your usage of their own service, not your complete web activity. In other words, they track messages between users OF THEIR SERVICE and posts on the JAJAH.COM FORUM, and web requests FROM THE JAJAH.COM SITE. They're not out to track all of your activity, nor could they with their technology. Yes, the wording is very very poor, and I do have an issue with it, but the intent seems clear and the portrayal by you and the scum that is Mark Hachman isn't completely deserved.
I usually respect posts here on techdirt.com, but sometimes you guys only serve to make the already over-hyped stories that much worse.
Be honest, but be objectively honest!
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Always read the small print.
Actually, why does the small print contain the bigger issues?
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http://www.blogateer.com
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ad-supported phone service
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