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A way for websites to collect small
payments from customers unwilling or unable to use their credit cards, often
used when charging for website content. Drop-dialling requires
visitors to download a small program is run, it cancels (or "drops") the
current connection to the internet and dials a premium-rate number to
connect to the site directly. the income derived from the call is entirely
dependent on the length of time the user then spends on the site, and is
thus an unpredictable way of generating revenue. Unless the content in
question displays a high degree of stickiness, profits are likely to be
small and unrepeated.
One popular application is pornography, and
many adult sites use diallers like these to encourage shy visitors. Many
visitors to these sites have had a nasty shock when their phone bill
arrives; some unscrupulous site operators have configured their diallers to
make expensive international calls, often unbeknown to the user. Users of
drop-dialling services may also be vulnerable to attack by viruses
and trojan horse programs concealed in the dialling software. |
