Avast WEBforum

Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: Nesivos on July 24, 2011, 04:13:16 PM

Title: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Nesivos on July 24, 2011, 04:13:16 PM
I don't know which one is better and that is not the point of this thread.

However, ISTM that most will agree that they attempt to do "basically" the same thing and that is to give "web surfers" an indication of the "security" of websites in one form or another.  

Having said that what I don't understand is how

WOT is working in Firefox on both Firefox 6.0B2 x32 and Firefox 8.0A1 x64 yet WebRep is not.

If the people at WOT can get it to run on those two platforms why can't the people at Avast get WebRep to run on those platforms?

Is it a design issue?

P.S. I am using both Firefox 6.0B2 x32 and Firefox 8.0A1 x64 and they are both very stable.
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: CraigB on July 24, 2011, 07:08:43 PM
Its enough work for avast to keep up with the normal release build's of firefox let alone the alfa and beta's builds, if you choose to use beta builds you had better accept that sometimes things wont work and if avast did make webrep compatible with the beta they might have to keep making changes for the next 10 beta's of version 6, to much work i think  ;)
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: RejZoR on July 24, 2011, 07:34:07 PM
Mozilla screwed up on their own with their inflated version numbers. They just jumped the Chrome's bandwagon but they forgot that their extensions system works in a different way compared to Chrome.
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Dch48 on July 24, 2011, 09:11:15 PM
WebRep vs WOT?  Who needs either one? I certainly don't.
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Lisandro on July 24, 2011, 09:18:59 PM
Mozilla screwed up on their own with their inflated version numbers. They just jumped the Chrome's bandwagon but they forgot that their extensions system works in a different way compared to Chrome.
+1
My browser experience is very dependent on the addons.
It's a pity that Firefox starts messing it. I'm using Firefox precisely because of the extensions... :'(
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Asyn on July 24, 2011, 09:43:07 PM
WebRep vs WOT?  Who needs either one? I certainly don't.

Good answer. :)

My browser experience is very dependent on the addons.
It's a pity that Firefox starts messing it. I'm using Firefox precisely because of the extensions... :'(

Stay on the 3.6 branch. ;)
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Lisandro on July 24, 2011, 09:46:31 PM
Stay on the 3.6 branch. ;)
Sorry. Browser security demands to move on. I can't stay at 3.6 forever. Software requires intelligent and responsible update schemes.
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Asyn on July 24, 2011, 09:54:06 PM
Sorry. Browser security demands to move on. I can't stay at 3.6 forever. Software requires intelligent and responsible update schemes.

Well, the 3.6 branch gets updated as well.
But I agree with you that the new FF update cycle is - hmmm - quite weird.
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: DarkMasters on July 24, 2011, 10:04:23 PM
WebRep vs WOT?  Who needs either one? I certainly don't.

+1 Web Shield and Network Shield are good enough for me as it's blocking the real threat.
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Para-Noid on July 24, 2011, 11:02:16 PM
WebRep vs WOT?  Who needs either one? I certainly don't.

+1 Web Shield and Network Shield are good enough for me as it's blocking the real threat.
+2  Hasn't this topic been visited before? Many times?  ???
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Nesivos on July 24, 2011, 11:47:51 PM
WOT is more than about blocking threats.

In fact I would say that that is its least important use.

ISTM from my experience with WOT is that its main feature is content warning.

Of course there are a gazillion other ways to get content warning but I have found WOT to be one of the best in this area.

My understanding is that WebRep also does some of that which is good.

ISTM that for whatever reason, Avast decided to incorporate WebRep into the avast! products.  Personally I think that this was a Marketing decision and a mistake.

ISTM that WebRep should have been designed as a separate Addon to Firefox and IE just like 95% of their Addons.   This way someone could just go to the Firefox or IE Addon (Extension) website and install the Addon from there without having to even use avast! Free, Pro or AIS.   Just put the avast! logo on it and name it avast! WebRep.   This way it could be maintained and updated with Firefox and IE updates and not have to be tied into avast! Free, Pro or AIS and their respective updates.  Other AV companies do this on select free products as a marketing tool for the company.

The other advantage of doing it the way that I am suggesting is that I doubt that anyone uses and/or buys avast! because of WebRep.  However, if people who don't use avast! Free, Pro or AIS are able to download and install the WebRep directly from the Firefox and IE websites they may more inclined to try avast! if they like the WebRep Addon/Extension.

As to whether Firefox is superior to IE or Google that is a personal choice based on a lot of reasons many of which have nothing to do with technical superiority of one product over another.  If others prefer IE over Firefox and Google that is their choice.  I happen to prefer Firefox and ISTM that Avast made a bad Marketing decision by incorporating WebRep into the avast! product and not making it a separate Addon/Extension available for download directly from Firefox, Microsoft websites.  Of course Avast may be more interested in keeping their Google user customers happy than their Firefox user customers.  That is a business decision and if that is what it is then so be it.

As far as the version numbers the version numbers don't mean squat.  The version number on Windows 7 is actually 6.1xxxx so version numbers are useless.

However, I can tell you that from having used Firefox going back to version 2.x that version 6.0 is by far the best version in many respects.   Version 8.0 x64 takes advantage of x64 architecture for those that have a Windows x64 OS.   IMO there is a clear net advantage to users in running x64 products on an x64 OS versus running x32 products on an x64 OS and to running x32 products on an x32 OS.



Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Asyn on July 24, 2011, 11:54:11 PM
Of course Avast may be more interested in keeping their Google user customers happy than their Firefox user customers.

Please elaborate.
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Nesivos on July 25, 2011, 12:18:57 AM
Of course Avast may be more interested in keeping their Google user customers happy than their Firefox user customers.

Please elaborate.

Thanks for the invitation but I'll pass.

That was the not the main point of my OP so no reason to elaborate.

The main point is that I think that WebRep should have been designed as a Firefox Addon that doesn't require one to use avast! Free, Pro or AIS for the reasons stated above.

WebRep is a good product but not good enough to force Firefox users to stay behind the times because Avast can't keep WebRep updated with the continual improvements in Firefox.  ISTM that if WebRep had been designed as a Firefox Addon without requiring the user to have to use avast! Free, Pro or AIS then WebRep could have and would have been kept up to date with the continual improvement in Firefox.   As it is now by the time Firefox releases its official RTM version of a version number that RTM version is behind the technological curve in the Firefox development/evolution cycle.   All of the 23 or so Firefox Addon's that I use are compatible with 6.0B2 except Webrep and about half of them are currently compatible with Firefox 8.0A1

Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Asyn on July 25, 2011, 12:29:29 AM
Yawn. ::)
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Gargamel360 on July 25, 2011, 03:20:27 AM
Yet another person who fails to see what the less obvious reason for WebRep is.

But the reason it is not a stand alone was discussed before.  They want it to reflect just the user base of Avast!, not just anyone.  And also to try and mitigate poisoning of ratings.
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: SpeedyPC on July 25, 2011, 03:54:51 AM
Yawn. ::)

OT: Go to bed and count your Avast sheep ;)
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: GTX66 on July 25, 2011, 04:59:01 AM
WebRep vs WOT?  Who needs either one? I certainly don't.

Good answer. :)

My browser experience is very dependent on the addons.
It's a pity that Firefox starts messing it. I'm using Firefox precisely because of the extensions... :'(

Stay on the 3.6 branch. ;)

It is very easy to force extensions to work on Nightly Builds.

In about:config

set boolean "extensions.checkCompatibility.nightly" "false"
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: Hard_ROCKER on July 25, 2011, 11:12:55 AM
WebRep vs WOT?  Who needs either one? I certainly don't.

+1 Web Shield and Network Shield are good enough for me as it's blocking the real threat.
+2  Hasn't this topic been visited before? Many times?  ???
+3
Title: Re: WebRep vs WOT
Post by: LunarWolf on July 25, 2011, 11:42:00 AM
I still use WOT and I trust WOT over Webrep but yet I still have both install.  ;D