Take a peek at this article: Get ready for ads on your cell phone (ZDNet). It’s really quite unbelievable how technology can be applied even to the stupidest of ideas.

Basically, advertisers are working on ways to use send you ads to your phone whenever you are “within range” (using BlueTooth and Code 2D). I think that this falls into the “Galatically Stupid” category of things that carriers and advertisers continue to do.

It puzzle me that carriers, advertisers, and (worst of all) members of the “Mobile Marketing Association of…” continue this charade. They continually think of ways to jam advertising down your throat and always overlook the most important factor: you, the consumer.

Basically, with these 2 technologies, walking by or with a nominal distance of a sign is “opt-in” to them.

It’s just as crazy as (um, I don’t know) browsing to a web page and 14,000 pop up ads appearing. I’m still struggling to think of a real-world equivalent to the visceral hatred that (um, I don’t know) EVERYONE that has ever used the “Inter-webz” feels for pop ups.

TiVO, iPods, Satellite radio are about 1 thing: control.

So, how do carriers gets people to buy into this stuff? Free (or low priced) phones.

Did you ever wonder how you could get a phone that costs $249 for FREE? What the carrier does is: give you the phone for free (or low price) and write into your contract that agree to receive these types of messages.

But, that’s not the same as a free (or low priced) phone and agreeing to stick with the carrier for 2 years. That’s actually pretty fair; that’s an actual trade off. Your loyalty + 2 year agreement = free phone

This new arrangement will be much more lopsided. Your time & attention abused anytime, anyplace, anywhere = free phone.

Doesn’t seem like a fair deal to me.