Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Apple Patents 'Attention-Complianceware'

Ads are about to get a lot more annoying if Apple decides to implement their newly patented 'attention-complianceware'. These ads, unlike current ones, will actually check that you have payed attention. Failure to comply with the demand of the ad, or not taking an action to indicate that you have paid attention will result in you continue to be locked out of your device. Right now, some of the more annoying ads run for 30 seconds before granting you access. Imagine if you were forced to actually pay attention to that ad or you had to play it over again. You may not have to imagine for to much longer.

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/15/apple-patents-anti-u.html

"Apple's filed a patent on a design for a device that won't let its owner use it unless that person demonstrates that she has complied with an advertiser's demands by paying attention to an ad and taking some action indicating her dutiful attention.

It's amazing how many of these vendors fail to understand Chekhov's first law of narrative: "A gun on the mantelpiece in act one is bound to go off by act three." That is, if you design a device that is intended to attack its user -- by shutting her out of her own files and processes against her wishes and without her consent -- someone will figure out how to use that device to attack its user.
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