The Computer Corner
By Charles Miller

Pudding ads on your phone calls

I read with interest a recent article in The New York Times announcing the debut of a free internet-based phone service. Silicon Valley start-up Pudding Media is introducing a VoIP phone service that will be supported by advertising.

The computer-based phone service is similar to Skype in that the user simply plugs in a headset and microphone to the computer, dials a number, then has a conversation with the person on the other end of the line. Everyone is accustomed to paying for such calls by the minute, but now Pudding Media says they are going to offer this without charge because the bill is being paid by advertisers. The most intriguing thing—the advertising is to be related to what people are talking about in their calls!

This concept is not fundamentally different from what companies like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and others are doing already. Or perhaps you did not know that these companies can scan the content of your email messages in order to be able to deliver ads related to those messages.

Pudding Media plans to eavesdrop on your phone calls in order to display ads on your computer that are related to whatever you are talking about at the time. Voice recognition software will monitor your call and select ads based on what it hears, and then pops up the ad on your monitor while you’re still talking.

Taking this concept one step further, the company is working on a way to use caller-ID to identify the person on the other end of the call, so they can send email advertising or ads to a cell-phone screen.

The company’s business model was built around market research that showed when people talk on the phone they typically do something else, such as writing, playing games or surfing the web. The company aims to use that time to expose the callers to advertising relevant to their conversation, and do it in real time.

This concept is intriguing in its use of modern technology, in that I can see the possibility of my being on the phone with a girlfriend and the computer could help me out by displaying ads for restaurants, movies and events. I am not sure I’m ready for it to start displaying ads for Viagra or for psychiatric referrals during that call.

The company has already noticed their advertising content had a tendency to determine conversations. “The conversation was actually changing based on what was on the screen,” said the spokesman.

Pudding Media’s business model is going to raise questions about the line between target advertising and violation of privacy. A spokesman for Pudding Media says they have considered the privacy question carefully and that they are not keeping recordings or logs of the content of any phone calls. They claim their advertisements only relate to current calls, not past ones, and will only arrive during the call itself.

When signing up for an account, a new user will be asked to volunteer address, age, sex, language, etc. This information will give the ads greater accuracy. Pudding Media says the “trade-off of getting personalized content versus privacy is a concept that is accepted in the world.” Translation: You don’t get something for nothing.

If you want to be among the first to check it out, point your browser to www.thepudding.com for more information. The service is available for dialing any number in North America.

Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant, a frequent visitor to San Miguel since 1981 and now practically a full-time resident. He may be contacted at 044-415-101-8528 or email FAQ7@SMAguru.com.