The ISPs could be the next NebuAds. I think that Charter saw NebuAd as an opportunity to float the idea -- why else would Charter be the only ISP to pre-notify its customers? NebuAd came along and became the convenient fool for an idea that had Charter and its buddies both salivating in anticipation and shaking in fear.
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Project Canoe" ("Cable's Advertising Network Observing Everything," perhaps) or "Canoe Ventures," an ad network being formed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Charter Communications and Bright House Networks. By using the information they have on you or can garner about you, they'll feed your cable-addressable box ads that are appropriate to your "Joe Sixpack" lifestyle.
Google has (had? still has?)
its own plans to jump to TV advertising and Canoe sure wants to stop that -- following the Cable ISP Sandvine-like mantra of, "if you can't beat 'em, block 'em." (It's working to keep Verizon out of Philly!)
"Let's abuse our view into our trusting customer's homes and habits in order to sell them erection pills and ringtones." But how far could they go and get away with it? Could they tap the 'net during the day to find out what to sell us at night?
NebuAd seems to have provided the answer.