h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sarcasm aside, I can't remember any advert being on tv so much. It's on every time I put the TV on.

and here in australia too

and I know someone who has it as their ringtone, it drives me (and everyone else to distraction) crazy.......

It's not just the fact that it's on in every single break. It's the fact that it's on *twice* in every single break.

As annoying as the ring tone is (and it is very very extrememly annoying).
As annoying as the adverts are (and they are very very very annoying).
And as annoying as the amount of tiems we get the adverts (which is very very very annoying).
The question has to be:

These adverts are on an awful lot of the time. I have no idea how much you might have to pay to get a ring tone, I am guesing less than a couple of pounds (UK). I have no idea how much an TV advert costs on one of the UK main channels, but I'm guess an awful* lot.
Therefore.
is it the case that really* so many people are paying the couple of quid for this stupid ring tone to 'personalise' their mobile phone to wareent the advertiseters having the advert on so often? And, furthermore, if it really* is that* popular a ring tone so that they can make pounds pounds pounds from runnign the advert and getting thousands apon thousands of people to download the ring tone each paying a pretty small amount, then, doesn't that thereofr e mean that many many many people wil have this as their ring tone on their phone. So how does that fit in with the 'popular' premise of many of the adverts to get you to take a particular ring tone, that this is 'individualising' Your phone?

Second.

If, as I guess is the case, these adverts are beign directed towards younger people, I'd hazzard a guess, at the under 30's, and probably moreso the under 25's.
Then, in this case, what does this say about our education system, that people of this age, are so inadaquat with computers and technology, that they can't get it for free? I am entirely baffled about why anyone would buy any ring tone, when it takes a good five minutes to make one yourself and put it on the phone, if you are so inclined, and can thereby truely ensure that when your phone rings, it is your phone, as you are the only person to have the ring tone yo have. (I very much doubt for example, that anyone else has the ring tone I had, which I made on teh PC, of someone being wipped and screaming). but. but. more importantly, why would anyone* want the 'crazy frog', I mean, is there any redemiable feature of it?

And why on earth do they have to blank out his willy?

PP

I hate it, how dare the ruin 'Axel F' too......... that is Sacrilege oh and is that his belly button or willy blacked out.

I heard on the radio the other day that the advertising standards agency had had hundreds of complaints about how often it's on, but they can't do anything because they can only deal with content, not frequency.

I've (luckily) only heard it once - at my mother's house where there is usually at least two televisions and the radio on at the same time. They must be aiming it at teenagers, as it doesn't seem to be on at the times I'm watching tv - I watch all the boring 'grown-up' programmes about how to make your house worth etc.

Yes Jamster were on BBC Watchdog getting a right slateing.

I've been reading forums on another board where 'registering' with the website has meant that people are ending up paying for screensavers and ringtones when they only signed up for a free one.

Yes in Watchdog the said the charged 3 pounds per week even if you don't except the ringtone or logo, wallpaper etc..........

That's exactly what this forum was saying - the £3 charge, so I'll be steering well clear!

It's all the stupid people who are making Jamster all the money that they then use to advertise themselves to other stupid people. It's a vicious circle. And there must be a lot of stupid people because the adverts used to be confined to the more obscure digital channels, but in the last week or two they've started cropping up on ITV1.

Me too it is daylight robbery

My lovely lady reckons they are gonna release the Axel F 'mix' of it. To me it just sounds like a dated naff 1990's dance track.

that sounds like axel f to me

That is because it is Axel F that's why it is murdering a good track.

BTW, it is the same sopund track/person that did the web site with the picture of the ferrari f1 car and someone making engine noises over the top isn't it?
If so, how far can you make 1 gag go?

Its not quite as ridiculous as the fact that some people must respond to junk mail, otherwise no-one would bother sending it. That somewhere out there are idiots who upon seeing a barely coherent advert for dubious pills decide to click on the link, and enter credit card details.

And to think I had hope for this species.

It's just a question of numbers. And the spammers are just as stupid. One of the big scams on the internet is the 'email list' where people will sell you a list of 2 million email addresses for x amount. And people buy them. That's why you should never click the 'not interested' button as it just confirms your email addres, which is worth more then. But I have seen figures between 5% and 20% as a response rate for spam. Taking just the US & UK pop (since all the spam I get seems to be US spam!) and the lowest response rate of 5% that still means that we have 5% of 59million+295million = 5% of 354million = 17.7 m,illion people that will respond.
You can see why people do it with a potential market that big.
The main problem isn't the respondees, or perhaps the spammers, but the ISPs who do nothing about it.

Anyone heard the Terminate a Toad ringtone where the Crazy Frog gets machine gunned to death.