Thanks for your service. 
And people do spy here and there but you have to take the bad with the good on it I guess.
No...like I stated in my OP...it has always been there....but it has become blatantly in your face obvious, and a lot of folks are talking about it.
And equally as obvious, the powers that be don't care.
Regardless of what some have posted here, look at the first page of this thread...mostly positive, then, the attacks begin, which is fine, it's the internet.
My point is that this is why no one is speaking up about these things, they don't want to be muted or banned from posting or flamed, etc.
I don't care about all that, I have big shoulders.
I love AH, but am deleting my account today, not in 2 weeks, screw it, keep the difference.
If you don't want to listen to your paying customers, then fine, buh-bye.
EDIT...Account deleted and game uninstalled...good luck <S>