[ NNSquad ] Re: Stripping or Replacing Web Site Ads?

[jbartas <jbartas@speakeasy.net>]

Hi Lauren,

   Ad replacement works just fine. Four years ago I wrote software 
which did this - the selfsame "Buster" project I previously mentioned on 
the NN-WG list. In it's current form, it replaces ads (via TCP spoofing) 
with a very innocuous pastel box with links to see the ad anyway, 
permanenty blacklist the sending site, etc. You can download the windows 
binary here at www.praemio.com (warning - It' just been overhauled and 
is a buggy Alpha right now).

   Just for grins I did a demo back then where the ads on my browser 
were replaced with pictures of my kids. When my business partners saw 
this they jumped to replacing ads with other ads. This could have led to 
the the (IMO) morally vile practice of ISPs or backbone carriers 
replacing ads; however our business model was for the end user (the 
person sitting at the browser screen) to select what ads they wanted to 
see. Less annoying for the user, better targeting for advertisers.

   My business partners convinced me to apply for a patent on this (I'm 
sorry!!!),  but we didn't get funding and never made it a commercial 
release. The patent was rejected on prior art, as it should have been. 
This is why I'm not worried about the patent app. you posted Friday. 
Buster's main fuction has always been security through data gathering on 
local networks - exactly what NNsquad now needs to do. We're going to 
release it under the LGPL, and I hope it can be of some use to the NN cause.

   As I was injecting ads, I also had some ideas for detecting this. 
I'll post those on the NN-WG list.

   Of course without a Users Bill of Rights the ISPs won't be sure if 
They are allowed to do this or not :-)

-JB-




Lauren Weinstein wrote:
> One aspect not discussed here yet in depth is that the same basic
> technology used to *insert* material into third-party Web site data
> streams (by ISPs) could presumably be used to *replace* material as
> well.
>
> That is, if an ISP felt that it was perfectly OK to add their own
> messages, ads, promotions, etc. to the data from a third-party site
> for user display, would they also consider removing or replacing
> existing ads with their own?  Could an AT&T ad on the original Web
> page be replaced by the ISP with a Verizon ad paid for through the
> ISP, without recourse or penalty?  In the absence of rules or laws to
> cover such situations, and with the rush to push the envelope in
> this space, I don't believe that this is by any means an impossible
> scenario.  
>
> The ramifications would be breathtaking of course.
>
> --Lauren--
> NNSquad Moderator
>
>
>
>   


--
John Bartas - Director of Network Engineering
Packet Island, Inc. www.packetisland.com
jbartas@packetisland.com
cell: 408-857-0605