My free cell phone came via FedEx yesterday. It’s a so-called Smart Phone. It’s no iPhone but you know, at 1000 monthly minutes, unlimited text and data free for 2 years, I’ll take it. (I figure the iPhone should be about in its 3rd generation cycle when I’m finally ready for it.)
Dear Research Panel [Person],
We’d like to personally welcome you to the **** Research Panel and thank you for agreeing to participate. You are now a member of a select, nationwide panel of consumers chosen from millions to represent the radio, television, and movie preferences of hundreds of people with similar backgrounds. Your participation as an **** Research Panel [Person] will help to influence the future direction of radio, television, and movies in America …
If their aim was to make me feel important, valued, a member of a select few, even influential … I guess they’ve somewhat succeeded. Anyway, they must have a lot invested in this if they’re getting people to commit for 2 years–or if not then as long as they can (we’re told we can send it back any time we want). I was just lucky to have been randomly selected, while living in 1 of 6 metro areas they are conducting the study.
I’m a part of a sample. I knew that Statistics class I took the summer-after-Sophomore was worth something.
Of course, there’s no free lunch. And if I were one of those Patriot Act-hating, privacy rights-wielding citizens, there’d be no way I’d consent to participating in this. “So what’s the trade-off?” you ask.
There’s software installed on this free phone. I’m required to carry it with me at all times, even inside my home. It records, in short bursts, media I’m exposed to (music, theatre, radio, tv) and sends the encryption somewhere to be compared against a large database. This ultimately tracks the effectiveness of advertising on me. Does the fact that I’ve seen the Transformers trailer 6 times as opposed to the trailer for The Next LiLohan Movie only 3 times make it more likely I’m going to go see Transformers? And would I be more likely to pay to see it in the theatre or wait for the DVD?
Crikey, am I crazy enough that I’m actually getting giddy at the idea of personifying a minute fraction of those “Nielsen ratings” I had only heard about–but had always wondered how they were collected. Yeah, since I was a kid. Who’s Nielsen? And who gave him the authority to know all this about us? I imagined like, factories of tiny people implanted inside random television sets all over the country, who phoned into Mr. Nielsen not only what shows and commercials we were watching, but also what we were having for dinner.
Meh. I guess I’m over that.
So, it follows that they had to give us some consolation as to our rights not being violated. That we weren’t totally selling ourselves down the river. So, of course there’s a Privacy Policy stating our phone conversations are not being recorded. Only media is getting encrypted and transmitted. That, and no cell phone bill was enough for me to say, “sure.”
I’ve only got a couple complaints–well, if I were complaining. Other than the fact that they could’ve maybe given us a free iPhone to use, I’ve already graduated to 3G speed–on a phone I ended up liking very much. And the Gmail Mobile app, might I say right here, is an excellent application. Learning new phones disrupts my rhythm. The free phone’s data speeds, like the iPhone, are also only as fast as Edge. The other: It runs Windows Mobile 5.0. My computer is a Macbook. But you know, fortunately there’s The Missing Sync so I can still take advantage of the syncing capabilities with my non-PC.
I’ll be excited to update how that goes. For dates and appointments, I am still tied to an At-a-Glance I actually carry around in my purse. (There are still things I benefit from using pen and paper with, believe it or not– I tend to like being able to recognize my handwriting as I recollect events being scheduled.) With The Missing Sync, I’m excited to be able to sync up with iCal and address book–so I’ll definitely be using that more. My iCal had crashed and gotten reinstalled following another app installation (beta, of course) so this will be giving it another go.
I had thought that work would be the only place I’d have to put up with windows. Guess I’ll just suck this one up. With no cell phone bill in my monthly expenses, it’s a good chance to buy a pair of shoes every month put the difference into my savings account. 
Love,
*e
16 Comments
Congrats on the shiny free phone. I’m very jealous!
Though I have one thought – how is a free data plan like that going to affect your usage? I mean, us mere mortals have to pay for things like texts, calls and browsing, so we’re more aware of what we’re using and take care not to go over the top. You now have a license to pretty much go wild. How is that representative of the ‘normal user’?
And are you going to get addicted by the time your 2 years are up?
Cas, you’re absolutely correct. I’m a bit worried about that, myself. I can really and truly see myself getting reckless as far as data/text… Mostly text. I will most certainly be addicted when my time is up!
I guess I can hang on to the hope that an unlimited text and browsing plan will be dirt cheap in 2 years?
On the other hand, as far as calls, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I’m not really an excessive phone talker. I don’t have too many out-of-town friends where I’d feel compelled to call someone up to just chat–when I did, I still had Cingular roll-over minutes or would use my nights/weekends. The local friends I can instead call them up to hang out, and that takes far fewer minutes to do.
My own paid calling plan was about half what it will be and I rarely went over. I’ve never really felt restricted by calling minutes, I guess.
And, as far as “normal user,” that’s valid point. However … I guess we would need to look at if phone usage affects the media we watch and hear. They are only recording media and it could come into question that maybe I’m on my phone more and not paying attention to stuff they’re transmitting that I’m exposed to.
Thanks for coming by, Cas!
My gf works helping to coordinate market research. It’s an interesting field, always fun to hear the back-end stories no one is supposed to know. That’s a really impressive deal you managed to sign up for. though Cas does point out good questions as to this absolute power corrupting absolutely. =)
A friend of mine worked at Nielsen’s, and said working there made him realise what a terrible rating system it is. Apparently, the vast majority of people who sign up to be a participant in Nielsen’s ratings are older retired people… not exactly a good representation of the viewing audience at large.
Congrats on the Nielsen thing. (Isn’t he the guy that does all that Web design work? Jakob or somesuch?)
I’ll echo Cas’s concern. I know for a fact that as soon as I got the unlimited texting plan from Cingular last year it was all text, all the time for me. Maybe that’s why I don’t go to all-you-can-eat buffets or have cable TV: if I feel like I have to get my money’s worth, then by God, I’ll become an addict.
Have fun with it and milk it for all it’s worth. Maybe you can even help bring back Firefly
quite interesting
watch lots of porn…make them think the world has become a bunch of pervs!
ryc: THAT WAS LOW =P
@lexybeast: How fun that must be to have that as a job. Must be fascinating studying those results…I guess when they’re representative.
@Gnorb: I’ve stuffed myself at many of a buffet and I never learn my lesson.
I will certainly milk this, too. Haha. I have a question though: What’s firefly?? Please enlighten.
@EternalPonderer: Yes, that would be an interesting direction to take and “sabotage” their results in my own, miniscule way.
Firefly was/is a truly wonderful sci-fi show from Joss Whedon (of Buffy & Angel fame). The only way to describe it is as a Western in space.
Sadly, Fox cancelled it in the middle of its first season. The fans got VERY irate, there was a movie sequel made (Serenity) and, while that was good too, it doesn’t look like there’s going to be another movie.
There are however comics and, I think, vague plans to bring it back to the small screen.
Either way, watch Firefly! It rules
i need a new phone! lucky duck. =)
Duly noted, Cas.
It seems it doesn’t matter at all how good a series is, these days… 
(And I’m surprised you haven’t picked up an iPhone, Greg.
)
Firefly was a Joss Show! Although it doesn’t hold the same place in my heart as Angel. Forever brooding and humorous, it will always be my fave. Anytime you wanna borrow dvds, just let me know!
@soulst0p: Oh nice. I think I will. Bring ‘em, next time you remember.
i am a tmobile fanboy myself now. no, not because i won tmobiles hotspot@home giveaway–ok, yes, it is because i did.
not to tout that i can eat more hot dogs than you, but i have a plethora of few min’s and texts–which is a sad thing because the asian side of me is trying to burn thru as much as i can as so it wont seem a waste each month… sigh.
i must admit, i am unable to understand how recording your exposed environment in short bursts translates into–*blows up*
p/s.: *high for free stuff*
@albert: Free is always GREAT.
i laughed at the last line!!
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