comStar Firewall alert - PhaseThrough

Matrix overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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advertising/Spam
Of course, you can’t mention the Matrix and media without
discussing advertising … or spam. Corporations love AR because
it allows them to constantly throw advertisements at potential
customers. Everyone’s link is constantly tracking their spending
patterns, sending purchasing—even just browsing—data back
to parent corporations, who hoard the data like a dragon does
gold. Pause by a window display of sporting equipment? Browse
the site for a ski lodge in the PCC? Don’t be surprised to have
dozens of vacation offers, sales ads for outdoor sport equipment,
promotional offers for winter clothing, and even multiple offers
of “snow-bunny” hook-ups clogging up your commlink. By
analyzing your buying patterns, your spending habits, and your
shopping preferences, corporations can target you with specific
ads designed to get you spending.
There is a fine line between advertising and spam, however.
Everyone has their own definition of where this line is drawn—
personally, I tend to drop an ID as soon as I get repeat ads for
services, which takes anywhere from a few days to a couple of
weeks. Once the line is crossed, all that virtual junk becomes spam.
Spam filters are sold by every major ‘link provider, software developer,
and megacorp. The catch is that while they may temporarily
filter out competitor’s spam, they invariably allow their own affiliates’
spam to get through. Singularity’s SafeShield and Renraku’s
SPAMOUT! are popular, although SafeShield tends to shut your
‘link down completely when it gets overwhelmed in a spam zone.
SprawL ManageMent
Cash strapped cities and governments privatized most essential
sprawl management functions decades ago. The wireless Matrix
is no different. Touting wireless Matrix as the future, promising easier
administration and lower costs, private corporations led by NeoNET
fought over lucrative government contracts to build and operate
wireless infrastructures. Now, everything from waste management
to law enforcement uses wireless technology to help manage daily
life in the Sprawl.
Most cities also have several Matrix Service Providers, or MSPs.
When you sign up with an MSP, you get a commlink number that’s
transferable if you ever switch
providers. You can purchase a
commlink and then activate it by
choosing a MSP, or sign on with
an MSP first and receive a “free”
commlink with your contract.
Most wageslaves use the free commlink,
although it’s frequently
a lower-end model loaded with
crapware. Also, many MSPs will
only work with their brand (or affiliated
brand) of commlink. For
us runner types, there are also black MSPs, catering to those individuals
who value privacy (and don’t really want a background check run when
they sign up).
> To sign up with legal services or to buy a commlink, you need a
valid SIN and ID, effectively shutting the SINless out of the wireless
world.
> Fatima
pSYcHoLogY todaY: arg
Augmented Reality Grief, or ARG, is the newest
psychological catch-phrase for a variety of
symptoms, such as uncontrollable anger, extreme
violence, emotional outbursts, and unprovoked
attacks on other online icons. Dubbed, “Road
Rage of the Virtual Highway” it is a common occurrence,
especially in heavy spam zones. [Link]
> Unless, of course, you hack yourself and your chums an account.
> Glitch
> Or sign up with a Black MSP. In Seattle, the anarchist Left Bank
hacker outfit runs one that’s pretty reliable. If you know where to find
their “office” you can get an account. You pay for the first 3 months
service up front (and yes, their prices are high, and no, you don’t get
a free ‘link), no questions asked, no answers given. When your cred
clears, a commlink number is placed in a drop box. They provide anonymous
message relays, temporary
Unwired
drop boxes, and a variety of other
services—like pirated warez. Drop me
a line and I can send you their way.
> Kat o’ Nine Tales
> Fuchi Telecomm is another black
MSP provider. Over the years, most
of it has been divided up and hacked
apart, but a section remains that
was forgotten (no doubt through
some fancy hacker-work) by all the
major players. Its code was already deep inside the wireless Matrix
infrastructure, and the antiquated accounts it sells work well on any
NeoNET system, sort of piggybacking its way around.
> Glitch
Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9