Author Topic: Avast Web Rep . . .  (Read 8410 times)

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Offline Dijenga

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Avast Web Rep . . .
« on: September 22, 2011, 03:03:53 AM »
Since the advent of web rep, I had heard a lot of good things until this evening when I accessed my business web site from a friend's computer. I have a big set of red bars showing. When I do a google search on my business web site, EVERYTHING has big red marks.

My business is a small web design business for beekeepers to insurance companies. From artists to radio stations.

I don't have anything to download. I don't have any type of gambling, I don't spam, I don't do one single thing that would bring me a negative rating . . . but web rep has a negative rating on all sites in my name.

So, I call Avast this evening, and they tell me that their ratings are provided to them by Microsoft. Yes, they blamed the negative rating on Microsoft, then Google, and refused to admit that they have any control or way to monitor malicious behavior against my sites . . . or my person.

Their representative said that minimal traffic was the cause. I have another site that has an average of only 1-2 visitors a day, it has a neutral rating . . . but is in my wife's name. The only sites on my server which have a negative rating all have my name listed as owner.

I recently had a run in with a "reputation defender / SEO Provider" company (Reputation Thruster) who decided to spam REPEATEDLY the contact form on my main site. I contacted them to ask that they desist from abuse of my site and my inbox. After they explained how it was my fault that they were spamming me (?) they became rather belligerent . . . then the attack began.

ATTENTION AVAST: You need to follow the pattern of McAfee's Site Advisor . . . allow persons who have been libeled (it is published content, and therefore libelous) to respond to the allegations.

If you can't do that, then you need to remove the product.

The moment I click on web rep, my computer calls out to 62.109.145.74, when I click on a reputation, it again connects to 62.109.145.74 -- so the database is apparently stored on Avast's servers . . . Comodo firewall confirms this IP is related to Avast.

Your support people blamed everyone else for providing this service. Own up to it, and correct the problem.

Offline bob3160

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Re: Avast Web Rep . . .
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2011, 03:14:01 AM »
Quote
allow persons who have been libeled (it is published content, and therefore libelous) to respond to the allegations.
Welcome to the forum. Aren't you responding here on this forum ???
The ratings come from individual people visiting your sites. Maybe you have someone who really doesn't like you ???
I fully agree with you as to the fault of any rating system that's totally based on user input but, WebRep
is still in it;s infancy and will eventually contain input directly from the virus lab. Till that happens,
it really isn't any good for anything IMHO.
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Gargamel360

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Re: Avast Web Rep . . .
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2011, 03:28:50 AM »
Yeah, WebRep is not really security related. 

Thats 3 people posting here today about red ratings, though.....maybe Avast! recently tweaked something a bit the wrong way with how the WebRep voting is calculated.

Offline Dijenga

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Re: Avast Web Rep . . .
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2011, 04:29:53 AM »
Aren't you responding here on this forum ???

Yes, I am, but how many of my customers / potential customers are going to come to the Avast forums, sign up, and search to see if I responded???

The rating system is not only flawed, it's concept is flawed.

At this point, Avast could be considered a defendant in a libel suit should I decide to proceed in that manner.

I have been libeled, it's just a matter of which side of the eventual suit they wish to be teamed up on.

The ratings come from individual people visiting your sites. Maybe you have someone who really doesn't like you ???

Perhaps. None of my friends, coworkers, or customers would do something like this. I have worked in the public in sales, service, etc. for much of my 54 years. I don't appreciate being unable to confront the individual or business that did this . . . seems like a VERY COWARDLY way to do things.

I fully agree with you as to the fault of any rating system that's totally based on user input but, WebRep
is still in it;s infancy and will eventually contain input directly from the virus lab. Till that happens,
it really isn't any good for anything IMHO.

It is good for ruining the reputation that has taken me decades to build. Perhaps we should start saying bad things about you or your lovely significant other then???

If it isn't ready --- if there aren't safeguards built in --- then it should not be in use yet.

That falls under the umbrella of NEGLIGENCE, added to the aiding and abetting LIBELOUS behavior.

I don't see a good outcome for this experiment gone wrong.

bobdole

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Re: Avast Web Rep . . .
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2011, 05:58:46 AM »
I've been seeing a lot of websites ranked "red" under WebRep lately.  A lot.  It makes me wonder how easily people can affect these.  If WebRep is this easily cheated to make sites red, then it's really pretty useless.  However, if WebRep can be cheated to make sites green in the same fashion, it's moved past "useless" to "harmful."

I'm inclined to agree with you, Dijenga -- This is something that Avast! should fix.


bioxx750

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Re: Avast Web Rep . . .
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2011, 06:45:18 AM »
This is something that Avast! should fix.

Not much to fix there. They should just make it disappear. The whole thing is completely unreliable and together with WOT an easy way to slag off the competition.

Offline Dijenga

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Re: Avast Web Rep . . .
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2011, 02:57:58 PM »
I received the following reply from Avast this morning:

Quote
Thank you for contacting AVAST Software company with your concerns. My name is Michal and I will assist you today.

The avast! WebRep is a community rating system, it does not show the security rating of the website. If the website doesn't contain any security risk (malware) detected by our CommunityIQ network, its rating is based on real users within the CommunityIQ program that have visited and checked the site. We can only reset the "red" status caused by malware detections (automatically based on the data provided by avast! Virus Lab) but it's impossible to "fix" the voting results for the website.

If you need further assistance, don't hesitate to contact me again.

I did not ask for a "reset", I asked for the identity of the person or persons who have used webrep as a way to attack myself and my business. Failing that, I requested a way to address the concerns of those persons while allowing them to remain anonymous.

There is a reason that the U.S. Court system is set up as it is. Anyone can make any accusation, but the accused has the ability to respond and defend themselves against the allegations.

Avast is being run more of the Joseph Stalin school: I say you did it, so it must be true because I said it".

The ball is in your court Avast.

You can address the problem and provide a way for correction of this mess, or we will meet in a different kind of court.

That is a promise.

Offline bob3160

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Re: Avast Web Rep . . .
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2011, 06:23:50 PM »
Quote
Quote from: bob3160 on Yesterday at 07:14:01 PM
I fully agree with you as to the fault of any rating system that's totally based on user input but, WebRep
is still in it;s infancy and will eventually contain input directly from the virus lab. Till that happens,
it really isn't any good for anything IMHO.

It is good for ruining the reputation that has taken me decades to build. Perhaps we should start saying bad things about you or your lovely significant other then???
@Dijenga,
Maybe you should first realize that I'm an avast! user. I'm only here trying to help those with problems.
I don't work for Avast as is the case with the rest of the people that have responded to you in this thread.
Since you mentioned slander, the statement you posted above can certainly be considered to hinge on slander.
Personally, attacking or threatening any one never accomplishes anything except to created animosities which
is exactly what we're trying to resolve.
Peace.
Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

Gargamel360

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Re: Avast Web Rep . . .
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2011, 06:38:08 PM »
I did not ask for a "reset", I asked for the identity of the person or persons who have used webrep as a way to attack myself and my business. Failing that, I requested a way to address the concerns of those persons while allowing them to remain anonymous.
It is an anonymous voting system.  People would never vote if it was conditional to getting email protests from every site you don't like.  
There is a reason that the U.S. Court system is set up as it is. Anyone can make any accusation, but the accused has the ability to respond and defend themselves against the allegations.
No one is taking you to court, this comparison is pretty far off the mark.  You are acting like WebRep is a criminal sentence, it is not, it is quite literally a Court of Public Opinion, and due process doesn't exist in that kind of court.
The ball is in your court Avast.  You can address the problem and provide a way for correction of this mess, or we will meet in a different kind of court. That is a promise.
You are going to sue someone for running an ongoing public opinion poll?  Right ::)   Aren't we Americans litigation-happy enough?  You can't sue someone for not liking you.  Sorry if it hurts your feelings.

Offline Vlk

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Re: Avast Web Rep . . .
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2011, 06:59:29 PM »
Sorry, there was some internal problems on the WebRep servers that resulted in some sites incorrectly marked as red (one red bar). The problem started yesterday afternoon (about 5pm GMT) and was fixed this morning (about 9am GMT).

Again, apologies for the inconvenience.

Thanks
Vlk
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving's not for you.

Offline Dijenga

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Re: Avast Web Rep . . .
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2011, 07:19:57 PM »
@Dijenga,

. . . Since you mentioned slander, the statement you posted above can certainly be considered to hinge on slander. Personally, attacking or threatening any one never accomplishes anything except to created animosities which is exactly what we're trying to resolve.

Peace.

Perhaps a misunderstanding here. I equivocated what has been done to me to a "what if" scenario.

I have attacked no one, except the enabler, Avast. I apologize if for some reason it came across otherwise.