Did you know that NetCurrents, which bills itself as "the Internet's Premiere Intelligence Agency", conducts real-time monitoring of message boards, chatrooms, and IRC channels, logging and producing reports on all occurences of particluar keywords for their clients? Echelon for the private sector, pure and simple. They even developed a kind of AI to assign a score to messages based on whether they are positive, neutral, or negative, even scoring emoticons. For example, if I were to write something on a message board unfriendly to any given product or company, (say, for example, NetCurrents and their bullshit privacy-invading Big Brother monitoring services D:< ), it would likely assign my message a very low score indeed and log it in its entirety, along with my e-mail address, into one of their databases to be reviewed by some marketing hack (or ???) at a later date. It might be interesting to find out who's using this, wouldn't it. Check out their Orwellian webpage: http://www.netcurrents.com The Internet is Talking...Are you listening? The Internet provides individuals with great opportunities to intentionally distort and mislead public perceptions about corporations, which can have a significant effect on a company's shareholder value and public image. Anonymous Internet postings have become a serious threat to companies - often requiring only a matter of minutes for their effects to be felt. With more than 3,800 new Websites and more than 250,000 new messages posted to message boards each day, managing information on the Internet has become an overwhelming and labor intensive process. Real-Time Message Analysis and Alerts Utilizing the advanced real-time Internet search technology (F.I.R.S.T - Fast Internet Real-Time Search Technology) developed by NetCurrents to monitor Internet discussion, CyberPerceptions provides up to the minute online analysis of message board activity to help you develop better business strategies, stronger competitive positioning and deeper understanding of consumer perceptions about your company's products or services. To help qualify and quantify this vast amount of online information, your NetCurrents Internet Strategists will analyze and react to critical situations caused by negative or incorrect information posted on Websites and Internet discussion sites. No more combing through thousands of messages on the message boards, as NetCurrents helps you determine which messages have the greatest impact on your company. CyberPerceptions charts and graphs provide you with "at a glance" information with message review capabilities to easily evaluate online discussion CyberPerceptions charts and graphs provide you with "at a glance" information with message review capabilities to easily evaluate online discussion. NetCurrents is uniquely positioned to deliver the intelligence and expertise you need to: Leverage your competitive strategy Evaluate emerging Internet issues Build and protect your market leadership Proactive Online Image Management Our highly trained Internet Strategists provide valuable resources to help you build a strong, positive brand image, brand loyalty, and brand positioning in local markets and around the world. They also assist you in meeting a variety of other goals, including those you define that could contribute to your corporation's market value. We offer a broad, expanding range of services to cover your interests. NetCurrents range of services include: Reporting on message board activity Monitoring stock volume and volatility Assisting in removal of false information from message boards Disseminating accurate and appropriate information Extensive competitive intelligence reporting Performing critical due diligence for your pending acquisition Our extensive resources help protect and build your company's global image and extend its value, freeing you to focus more on running your core operations and increasing profitability. CyberPerceptions utilizes a modular design concept, which allows us to tailor our services to your business requirements, enabling a multitude of services to be integrated into a unique, customized solution for each individual client. The baseline CyberPerceptions service includes: Access to a dedicated NetCurrents Internet Strategist Secure NetCurrents client portal Monitoring and notification Customer defined alert criteria Graphical detailed statistics with message drill-down Message query capability allows archive search of posted messages Remote portal access via an Internet enabled wireless device Ability to add additional modules to customize our services to your business requirements Develop better business strategies, stronger competitive positioning and deeper understanding of Internet consumer perceptions about your company's products or services with CyberPerceptions. MobilePerceptions Stay informed with internet perceptions at your fingertips. NetCurrents' MobilePerceptions delivers a wireless graphical reporting tool that helps you stay in continuous contact with your company's Internet perception by providing online sentiment information accessible anywhere you are. As a CyberPerceptions customer, you can take advantage of this service at no extra charge. NetCurrents' MobilePerceptions gives you the ability to monitor specific Internet information summaries about your company's online image and reputation via a Palm OS compatible Internet enabled wireless device. You can continuously check for the latest messages and monitors shifts in opinion where ever you are, 24/7. Quickly evaluate and initiate responses to rumors and misinformation about your company with access to online sentiment charts, messages posted on Internet discussion groups, and wireless notifications based on your specific predetermined alert criteria. Knowledge Management on the go You can view consolidated bar charts with message drill-down capabilities for evaluating Internet communications and understanding your company's overall online appearance. Listing the top poster identities will give you the ability to read messages and track the online identity of your company's most vocal supporters and critics even while you are away from the office. MobilePerceptions Features: Real-time summary of online topics. Top poster identities with message volume. Alert notifications based on your company's requirements. Message drill-down for more detailed information. With MobilePerceptions ability to check the most recent alerts posted to your MyNetCurrents Web portal, you will stay informed of rapidly changing events as they happen. If you are already a NetCurrents customer and own a Palm VII handheld, you may take immediate advantage of this great new service at no extra cost. Click here to download the wireless application, free of charge!!