All your data are belong to AT&T

[Mark Holtz]

From SF Gate:

AT&T rewrites rules: Your data isn't yoursAT&T has issued an updated privacy policy that takes effect Friday. The changes are significant because they appear to give the telecom giant more latitude when it comes to sharing customers' personal data with government officials.

The new policy says that AT&T -- not customers -- owns customers' confidential info and can use it "to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process."

The policy also indicates that AT&T will track the viewing habits of customers of its new video service -- something that cable and satellite providers are prohibited from doing. FULL ARTICLE HERE (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/06/21/BUG9VJHB9C1.DTL&type=business)

[Bogy]

This isn't dealing with the issue of ATT, but I believe it is related. I heard a radio program a few days ago discussing Bill Gates retirement announcement and the future of computing/Microsoft. The "experts" were speculating that Microsoft had missed the boat by sticking with the software licensing business plan, while the future was the subscription plan that Google is developing, where in essence, if I understand correctly, your computer will be essentially a workstation, with the software and data being held in Google's (or whoever's) servers. What was not mentioned was the question of just who might conceivably have access to your information in this kind of setup. Personally, I'll keep my stuff on my computer, thank you very much.

If ATT feels it can use your information for either it's own purposes or the government's, what is to keep Google or anyone else from doing the same?

[DonLandis]

From this Friday, All the assets of AT&T belong to me. It is my new policy. They are hereby put on notice to begin sending me my payments beginning on Friday!
Consequently all the data AT&T has also belongs to me. :D

Joke mode off but that is how I feel about any company or even the government for that matter simply seizing my property.

Bogy- Yes, Google is planning on this Business model now for several years. It is part of their plan for World Domination. LOL! We discussed this in the past. While the model is different, I can't imagine it will replace the software license, hardware owned model we are all familiar with. Rather, I feel it will become an option in the future. Google seems to believe that it's plan will replace the existing plans but most people laugh at that bit of arrogance.

In the Satellite DBS world, we are now seeing a shift in this direction too. Look at D* and E*'s incentives to lease all hardware as opposed to you owning it. By killing off older technology, and making lease a real fiscal advantage, they are driving the DBS business model in that direction as well. Currently, the new VIP 622 programs are better for lease than purchase so I chose to go that route.

The real key for me is whether we have a choice in Google model or Microsoft model. As long as we can decide to own or lease, be it software or hardware, computers or DBS, I will be happy. I see my future doing a bit of both depending on the advantages and disadvantages.

I have leased cars and owned cars and bought off lease cars too. The best world for me is choice in each situation. Take away my choices, then I will not be happy.

[ntexasdude]

You nailed it Don. Give me a choice of how I want to compute.