Why is Avast spamming??? Avasting a new feature??

[avastspam]

Why is Avast spamming with:
- avdertisements try me to take part in competitions?
- with alerts every 4 hours?
- with "Critical notices" about software security?

Avast is today a normal spam software disturbing normal usage of computer. Every 3-4 hours you get spam alerts on your display with Avast this and Avast that, play Avast, compete Avast.

I already have your software and I am never going to buy anything from you! Never.

How to get rid of your spam ads and alerts?
- Only by discarding Avast?
- Changing to some of your competitors?

You have good free software but hostile alerting and advertising.
Alert + Advertising = Avasting

Avast is just like Linkedin which tries to keep everybody active by endorsing and ENDORSING and EEE-NNNN-DDD-OOOO-RRRR-SSSS-IIII-NNNN-GGGG. Fucking Linkedin, the former professional social media.

Why is Avast today's  f*cking Annoying security software. SECURITY No, hostile advertising f*cking spam machine.

Solutions:
1. Either, let us turn off your spamming
2. Or collect your spamming to only once-a-month spamming session.

Yours sincerely,
"one of your f*cking customers" you are pii'ing on

[bob3160]

Informative messages aren't spam IMHO.
If you want things a little quieter, maybe the following video will be of some help:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=93544.msg796558#msg796558

[DavidR]

If only I had a clue what it is you are talking about:
What - "advertisements try me to take part in competitions?"
What - "alerts every 4 hours?"
What - "Critical notices" about software security?

Some details might help.

I guess I'm lucky not having seen anything like this (whatever that may be) on anything like the frequency you are suggesting.

[TimKing]

Well, I get inducements to enter competitions from Avast. I feel that Avast has gone a long way downhill over the past few years.  The software is fine, but the promotions, spamming and lack of support are definitely not.
Is it really fitting for a piece of anti virus software to pop up messages inviting people to enter "dubious" competitions? Not in my view.
I found a big change a few years ago when I had big problems with a version of free Avast. I emailed support, but got no help whatsoever, and thought very hard about leaving Avast and moving to other software. I suspect the changes started as Avast got more commercial.
Moving from Windows XP to 8 (preview) fixed my problems and I have had no more, but not thanks to any help from Avast.
At one time I would have wholeheartedly recommended Avast to anyone, but now I am much more cautious and am always looking for alternatives.
It is a big plus for Avast that I have found no better alternative, but Avast does seem to be trying to turn into one of the software publishers you love to hate - essential, but maddening.

[bob3160]

This might help.

[Para-Noid]

The OP was referring to the "odd" vps update pop-ups.
The OP felt that ranting was better than resolution. 

[Arnold72]

I really do wish people would take the time to look through the avast program in its entirety and see that there are options to turn off these pop ups etc.

But no they would sooner come on to the forum like a wailing banshee and ranting for no reason.

[TimKing]

Believe it or not, everybody is not stupid and can also find these options.

I have these boxes unchecked and still get the spam.

At least Avast doesn't now try to force installation of Google Chrome on you, whether you ask for it or not, as it did a couple of years ago (No option to install or not install, it just did it. I had this happen to me and there was NO option not to install it.)

[DavidR]

Well part of this problem is tagging on to a topic that was seven months old to start with - different avast program version and somewhat different problem.

This particular issue (bug in the auto update notifications) is pretty well covered in multiple topics.

- Auto Update Notifications are screwed up.
The popup is actually meant to be the auto update notification (check your avastUI > Settings > Update and you will see that an auto update has just taken place. It appears that these tips/ad popups are piggybacked onto the auto update notification popup and this looks like it messes up the display and sound for the auto update notifications.

If you browse the forums you will see several topics relating to a known bug about updates.
1. no auto update notification popup (commonly displays an avast! tip - Ad, instead).
2. no audio voice over for the auto update.
3. the popup delay timings don't appear to work either.
These tips popups have in the past been piggybacked with the auto update update notification, so the only way to get rid of them would be to disable the auto update notification, which if you want the update notification (when it works correctly) would remove everything.

- Unchecking the "show social networking features" as suggested won't work as they are piggybacked to the auto update notifications. The only way to get rid of them would be to uncheck the auto update notifications, reducing the duration of the popups won't work either as it doesn't appear to work as it used to (so another bug).

[midnight]

My last popup this am..  No VPS update either.

[TimKing]

Well part of this problem is tagging on to a topic that was seven months old to start with - different avast program version and somewhat different problem.

This particular issue (bug in the auto update notifications) is pretty well covered in multiple topics.

- Auto Update Notifications are screwed up.
The popup is actually meant to be the auto update notification (check your avastUI > Settings > Update and you will see that an auto update has just taken place. It appears that these tips/ad popups are piggybacked onto the auto update notification popup and this looks like it messes up the display and sound for the auto update notifications.

If you browse the forums you will see several topics relating to a known bug about updates.
1. no auto update notification popup (commonly displays an avast! tip - Ad, instead).
2. no audio voice over for the auto update.
3. the popup delay timings don't appear to work either.
These tips popups have in the past been piggybacked with the auto update update notification, so the only way to get rid of them would be to disable the auto update notification, which if you want the update notification (when it works correctly) would remove everything.

- Unchecking the "show social networking features" as suggested won't work as they are piggybacked to the auto update notifications. The only way to get rid of them would be to uncheck the auto update notifications, reducing the duration of the popups won't work either as it doesn't appear to work as it used to (so another bug).

So,

in other words, and much more simply,


IT'S SPAM

(I'm sure people who do wish to receive these pop-ups don't ever not get them).

[bob3160]

It's a bug in the program that's being worked on as described by DavidR.
Somewhat different from Spam.

[midnight]

One would think that this "Bug" would have been fixed by now.

[bob3160]

One would think that this "Bug" would have been fixed by now.

Is there a question

[CraigB]

One would think that this "Bug" would have been fixed by now.

Well your reported popup is not a bug, It's the monthly security report.