Controversial mobile directory fails on launch

A new directory of mobile phone numbers - already hit by privacy controversy - was further troubled by a system failure yesterday that meant it was unable to connect callers. The 118800 service was scheduled to go live yesterday with a press event in London backing its multimillion-pound launch. Today, however, a message on …

[Neil Barnes]

The first thing to do...

Get on the site to get yourself ex-directory...

Another value-added service of no value to me. No thanks.

[Michael 3]

The "opt out" page isn't even working at the moment

http://www.118800.co.uk/removeme/remove.html

"ERROR

The requested URL could not be retrieved

While trying to retrieve the URL: http://www.118800.co.uk/removeme/remove.html

The following error was encountered:

Unable to forward this request at this time.

This request could not be forwarded to the origin server or to any parent caches. The most likely cause for this error is that:

The cache administrator does not allow this cache to make direct connections to origin servers, and

All configured parent caches are currently unreachable.

Your cache administrator is root.

Generated Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:33:58 GMT by hb-mob-b.anlx.hdb.internal (squid/2.6.STABLE21)"

[peter garner]

This wouldn't be ..

.. a UK government-sponsored company would it?

[Neur0mancer]

It's not so bad

I have just tried it and it send you a text afterwards to let your opt out if you want to. Decent service if you ask me. Good for stalking too.

[Paul Slater]

Opt out

So how do I opt out of this service?

[Olaf 1]

Shower of barstewards

The remove (Ex-directory) link just so happens to be bust

http://www.118800.co.uk/removeme/remove.html

[Andy Barber]

Fail

Ha! I have always given my mobile number on adverts I reply to, which is where they harvest the numbers from. Am I on 118800? Zilch! I've not posted AC, so el Reg readers can try to see if they can call me!

[Cameron Colley]

<Nelson Muntz>Har-Har!</Nelson Muntz>

Let's just hope they go bust before too long.

[HansG]

kidding???

Jezz, how do these companies manage such disasters, day one and it doesn't work. Did anyone test it...............

[OFI]

Good

I hope it fails some more. Bad enough when old school 'friends' get hold of my number.

[Casper Orillian]

Its nto KCOM

its KC or Kingston Communications, who does this research?

grave stone for the regs research dept

[Chris Williams]

Re: Its nto KCOM

Afraid it is.

"Connectivity has employed the KCOM Group to run its call-centre in Carr Lane, city centre. A spokeswoman for KCOM said it was too early to tell if demand for the service would create any new jobs.

"She said: "As this service has not yet been launched we cannot currently say whether it will create any new jobs in our call centre, but if it does, we will advertise those vacancies locally."

http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/news/KCOM-centre-launches-mobile-phone-directory/article-1082538-detail/article.html?cacheBust=gW725Xt2Fc04&authid=0qMQPKz9pd7vUpgN5sJLhlGseCJU4ERL9kHRa5ndcGaYbWDyvW1245247203980&success=true#community

See also: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/17/kingston_rebrand/

Who does your research?

[hi_robb]

I wonder if it was me...

who tipped the register off about this. I sent em an email today after not seeing anything about it on here.

<--- checks sent items.

Err no it wasn't, my email was sent just after this article appeared.

boo hoo.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Its nto KCOM

DO'H

hope you like your gravestone.

[Camilla Smythe]

Your cache administrator is root.

I'll admit to not being in tune with this security stuff, so you can all have a larf, but isn't having, and broadcasting, root as being in control of something a bit of a request for someone to try the password root or admin to gain access to the rest of the system unless the password got changed to brian?

Oh..... silly me. Sophisticates are using SQL injection attacks these days so using root:dave is just so passe.

[Tanuki]

So, it doesn't work.

Ahhh... I love the smell of Schadenfreude in the morning.

[Casper Orillian]

@Chris Williams

I do

I had them round last week, the van definatly said KC

and i go past there place in town, again KC

and the local foot ball stadium, happens to be called the KC stadium

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

opt out

The only valid opt-out in this case is to sue for being opted in without your approval.

[Trevor Watt]

Casper

Stop digging and look on KCOM's web site.

[PPPie]

Too many suckers

Far too many suckers are registration freaks in the UK. Now they all start paying the price...

[Grease Monkey]

Does it comply?

When you fill in a form including your personal information you usually have a couple of check boxes that relate to passing on your information. One is usually something of the order of "may we use this information to inform you of other products you may enjoy". Clearly this wouldn't cover anybody using your information in a public directory. The other box is usually something like "may we pass on your information to trusted partners to inform you of other products you may enjoy". I don't think this covers sticking your information in a public directory. The only thing it covers is passing on your information for directed marketing purposes.

I have never seen a box saying "may we pass on your data to anybody to use howsoever they wish" which is just about the only thing that would allow them to use your data in this directory. I suspect therefore that most of the information in their directory was obtained illegally.

I never agree to my personal data being passed on, but just to be on the safe side I give as little information as I can. Where online forms insist on certain data I don't want to hand over I give them false data. The most common example of this are forms that insist on my mobile number when there is no reason for them to have that data, so I make up a number. The funny part being is that if some company had passed on my information to these losers without my permission then they will have a fictitious number.

[Benedict]

meh

So what if i end up on some list? You people do realize that phones have the ability to disconnect calls at your leisure right?

[Anonymous Coward]

@Benedict

OK, post your mobile number on here. I'm sure you won't mind everyone else calling you any time we like?

[iamapizza]

@HansG

What is this 'test' thing you speak of? Surely, it cannot be an IT related word, for we have never heard of it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Reality check.

I've already got my first "oh noes!!! think of the childrruunn!!!" panic-struck viral email about this. This is *not* a directory. If someone is willing to spend a quid to try and get hold of you, then you will get a text message with their contact details. This might actually be useful, if someone's lost their phone with your number in it, and it's urgent.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Reality check

Yeah, someone forwarded me something similar a few days ago, in which the original e-mail was talking about "children's mobiles being cold-called" in slightly hysterical tones.

Forwarder said "I've put all my children's mobile numbers in the unsubscribe page".

At which point I read the site and explained by reply that at a quid a pop it's hardly likely that someone's going to use it as a method of cold-calling, esp. when you or the children (who's thinking of them?) have to phone them back.

When I pointed out that by entering mobile numbers that (a) whilst not advertising them they'd probably have to be retained (in case the number you're requesting "removed" is re-sourced from another tel. no. supplier) and (b) you're actively populating their mobile phone number database (and are then at their mercy as to how they use that data), she wasn't best pleased!