Verizon

I suppose I should expect this kind of thing out of a company as deceptive as Verizon, but their latest round of advertising is so blatantly deceptive that I can't ignore it.

If you haven't seen the commercial, it involves a fellow working on his laptop, then suddenly getting frustrated and throwing it out the window because "it's broken, it has a virus". This is probably a scenario that Windows users have to deal with frequently.

A Verizon employee brings the laptop back in through the window, returning it to the distraught user like a Greek Hero, and explaining that there's nothing wrong with the computer, it's a problem with the network. If our young friend would only switch to Verizon internet, he wouldn't have this problem.

What a crock! It's beyond a crock, it's outright criminally deceptive.

Let's look at the reasons this is bullshit (and evil):

• I've never had a virus on my laptop. I plug it in to all sorts of networks, most of them not Verizon. In the 4 years I've owned it, my laptop's never had a virus, yet Verizon's had nothing to do with that. Maybe it is the computer and not the network. More specifically, maybe it's the software and the user causing the problem.
• Does Verizon really think they can protect every user from viruses? I know for a fact they can't, and I'm willing to bet real money they don't make any actual promises.
• It's a laptop! That virus could have come from anywhere. Could have come from the open wireless network at the coffee shop, and thus be completely outside Verizon's power to do anything about. What's going to happen to anyone who complains that Verizon's system didn't work is a call-center employee in Bangladesh who barely speaks English is going to dismiss the whole thing because the user can't prove that it happened over Verizon's network.
• Verizon is positioning itself cleverly to become big brother. Once you've given them the right to monitor what you do on the Internet, watch out! You're only a half step away from having cameras up all through your house. Sound overly-paranoid? Maybe, but give me the benefit of the doubt and check back with me in 20 years.
• Computers are already horribly misunderstood by the average layman. Verizon has taken it apon themselves to make this situation worse by spreading misinformation as part of its marketing plan. Good job, Verizon. You're helping to create a country of misinformed idiots.

I'm having a bad week, and Verizon is going to have to bear the brunt of it.