Charles Cooper, a cnet editor, is apparently surprised that his Tivo collects data on his viewing habits.

Holy Peeping Tom, Batman. Was it that Orwellian? Maybe I need to become more of a fussbudget, but the fact is that TiVo-philes knew--or should have known--what they were getting into when they first unwrapped their digital video recorders. The user agreement that comes with the product discloses the company's data-gathering practices.

So -- Tivo makes it quite clear that they collect anonymous data and even have that question in their FAQs and provides a phone number to opt out.

TiVo does collect Anonymous Viewing Information; that is, information about viewing choices made while using your DVR, but that does not identify you as an individual or household. In other words, there is no personally identifiable information associated with the viewing information that could identify the viewing information as coming from you or your household. TiVo also collects Diagnostic Information from a small number of randomly sampled DVRs for quality control purposes. If you don't want even your Anonymous Viewing Information or Diagnostic Information used in any way, simply tell us by calling our toll free number (1-877-367-8486).

So what's the big deal exactly? I think its good that Tivo is reporting aggregate stats to media executives that make programming decisions. Hopefully, that means that the shows I like will stay on the air and there will be more like them.

Ginger and I had an interesting conversation about it, figured it was worth sharing here.

Ginger: It would be neat to see how they visualize that no gravity room\ Oscar: totally\ Ginger: it's funny, the shower room where ender kills that boy, I always visualize my freshman year of college shower room\ Oscar: i think everyone who reads it knows it could be made into a really cool movie\ Ginger: how long ago did those books come out anyway?\ Oscar: enders game was 1985\ Ginger: geez it's taking them long enough\ Ginger: they're already working on making the Da Vinci Code into a movie and that came out less than a year ago\ Ginger: I suppose this one is harder to make into movie form though\ Oscar: i know OS Card (the author) has been pretty picky in who and how the movie gets adapted\ Ginger: good for him, so it won't be drivel\ Ginger: sorry to keep harrassing you, but did you say speaker for the dead was any good?\ Oscar: its pretty good\ Ginger: I might have to check it out\ Oscar: i like the newer trilogy better than the first , enders shadow, hegemon, and some fourth book\ Oscar: the original trilogy is ok\ Oscar: but i'm also a series whore- once I start a series I tend to read it all the way through regardless of quality\ Ginger: ha - so did you see Matrix Revolutions then?\ Oscar: well, that really only applies to books\ Ginger: well I'll check them out, because I really liked the two I read\

...and my attention span is AWOL...