Porn Mode!

[Evildrider]

Is this like Microsoft giving Google the finger?   

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1dc6fac0-7462-11dd-bc91-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1

Latest Microsoft browser challenges Google
By Rob Minto in London

Published: August 27 2008 20:05 | Last updated: August 27 2008 21:00

Microsoft released a web browser on Wednesday that includes a feature that could affect the advertising model of internet rivals such as Google.

The Internet Explorer 8 browser’s InPrivate setting lets users access websites without disclosing their browsing habits, which websites need to be able to do to deliver targeted advertising. This is a business Google has just moved into through its acquisition of DoubleClick.

The feature has been dubbed “porn mode” because it also hides the browsing history from other people using the same computer. While other browsers have similar options, it is in a much more prominent position on Microsoft’s product.

John Curran, a director at Microsoft UK, said “some people will always want to be ‘InPrivate’, but there is a trade-off” – meaning that although people’s privacy will be protected they will not automatically receive data relevant to their interests.

Google has faced a public outcry over the amount of information it collects from users of its services. David Mitchell, an information technology analyst at Ovum, said: “If the hype around privacy gains more credibility, more people will hit the private button. There is a potential threat here to click-through [display] advertising.”

Google was unavailable for comment. However, one person familiar with its business said that if Microsoft’s browser succeeded in changing user behaviour it could pose some risks to Google’s attempts to expand its display advertising business. Google gets 90 per cent of its revenue from search advertising, which would not be affected, but it hopes display ads will become an important source of revenue.

The browser became available as a “beta” version last night and will eventually be included with the Windows operating system.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008

[Viin]

Internet Explorer 8 is out?

I'm not quite sure what this means. I don't *think* the double click behavioral targeting stuff goes through your browser history. Typically, they do it all on cookies. Ie: if they see someone on a car shopping site, they'll throw a 'interested in cars' flag on their doubleclick cookie. Then, when they show up at another site, they'll see that cookie and be like "oh, this guy likes cars, lets give him a car ad! Woot!".

Anyone know where I can get some details on what exactly the Porn Mode button does?

[Viin]

The ZDNet article on it also talks about simply clearing cache/browser history, which I still don't see how that'd affect doubleclick and their behavioral targeting. I know it certainly won't affect Tacoda's.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1538

[Engels]

Porn Mode = Firefox & NoScript :P

[Evildrider]

Internet Explorer 8 is out?

Supposedly the beta is out.

[lac]

Beta 2!

[Yegolev]

I read the feature list for IE8... why should I check this out?  Serious question.

[HaemishM]

It's Microsoft and you will conform, you pissant.

[Yegolev]

Then I'll just wait for it to magically appear on my computer one day, like IE7.

[Venkman]

The Internet Explorer 8 browser’s InPrivate setting lets users access websites without disclosing their browsing habits, which websites need to be able to do to deliver targeted advertising.

This is actually a good idea. There's a specific demographic of people who would love to hear this. Unfortunately there's a big overlap between that group and folks who don't know dickall about upgrading their browser. 

That it goes up against Google is good only for basic competition. Maybe it'll force Google to actually pay attention to ANY of the perpetual-beta/unfinished crap they've got lying around.

[Trippy]

That it goes up against Google is good only for basic competition. Maybe it'll force Google to actually pay attention to ANY of the perpetual-beta/unfinished crap they've got lying around.

This isn't about forcing Google to start paying attention to what MS is doing on the Web -- it's about breaking the way the entire Web ad tracking system currently works.

[lac]

And then replace it with something they can control.

[Trippy]

Of course. I'm sure it'll be setup so that tracking cookies from MS and its ad partners will be accepted by default

[schild]

This is assuming that the current advertising scheme isn't already broken. Which it is. The amount of good it does for the web is nominal. The amount of bad is astronomical.

[schild]

Just to give you an example:

Tribal Fusion (and most ad networks now) won't allow their ads to be put on page with unfiltered user comments. This isn't because of the ad networks but because of the advertisers themselves. Also, they won't allow ads to be shown on pages with a "large amount of expletive content" or whatever the fuck they said (NeoGAF had to completely remove their original ads because of this). That said, by controlling the language on the pages, they're controlling the content. This is bad. Advertisers should let users of sites embrace their audience for the audience that they are. Advertisers wanting to do this are total cockhead motherfuckers who are missing the point of the entire nature of the internet. Live and let live, no boundaries, blah blah blah.

Basically, fuck'em. I hope Microsoft destroys all of the advertising on the internet. Uncreative chucklefucks.

[Yegolev]

I'd be on board with you except they won't destroy the current advertising without replacing it with something even more intrusive/controlling.  Besides, having ads means you have advertiser control.

[shiznitz]

Microsoft is corporately incapable of innovating. They are adding something to IE8 that Google has made $billions from in the last 3 years alone. I think Google can come up with something new and 5 years from now - when it doesn't matter - Microsoft will have an antidote.