M1 broadband and blur images

Previously I wondered: Is M1 broadband injecting Javascript into my web pages? After making two unfruitful calls and then an email to M1, I’ve finally gotten an answer:

Yes, M1 broadband is indeed responsible for the blur images that I have been seeing while surfing the net.

In the M1 Customer Relations email reply to me, they are “currently implementing some optimization to improve the user’s experience while surfing“. The “solution” provided in the same email is: “To view the graphics at its optimal quality, you may like to move the mouse cursor over the picture, the blurred image will auto-refresh to the original image in about two seconds“. There was no mention of the time frame on when the problem will be totally resolved.

Oh, such an inconvenience! Before that, while waiting for the web pages to load via M1 broadband, I could have gone make myself a cup of coffee and come back to see the web page just finished loading. If I’m surfing at night, the page loading time is even enough for me to make a sandwich as well (yes, plus the coffee). But now I can’t even walk away from my computer because I need to mouse-over each and every image?

Personally, I find M1 broadband a disappointment on the following counts:

• This is clearly a case of insufficient testing before rolling out the system to customers. If M1 had thoroughly tested this system, it would have been aware of this image-blurring problem, instead of having to be informed of it by its customers. Are its customers being treated like guinea pigs? On the other hand, if M1 was already aware of such potential problem, then why didn’t it warn its customers beforehand?

• If I may borrow the same two adjectives spoken in parliament few days ago, I would describe the suggested work-around solution as silly and incredible. “Mousing over each image and then wait for two seconds before the image can be shown in its original quality” is hardly something that should come out from a reputable ISP.

• In the course of implementing such a system, M1 broadband took the liberty of injecting Javascript into all the web pages served out to its customers. This is totally intrusive! Furthermore, that chunk of injected Javascript is naively implemented and breaks some of the web pages that I browse.

Dear M1, if you may remember, I blogged about the praises I have for your broadband service when I first signed up for it in October 2007. Sadly, over the past six months the speed of your broadband service has deteriorated significantly. And now you’re serving out low-quality images in order to reduce the load on your network traffic?

Update (30 Apr 2008): The problem of blur images still persisted. Called up M1 again today to demand an answer on when they can resolve this problem once and for all. Just like the previous times, the answer was that they do not know how long it will take.