Hi Tumic,
I do in fact quite clearly understand the technical issues here.
In regards to your statements:
1. EXCLUSIONS ISSUE
It is true that there were exclusions missing for On Demand Scans which I precisely the reason why I added them manually, but despite this Avast ignored the exclusion rules very carefully put in place by myself. Avast! simply was NOT obeying those manually added exclusions.
I also posted about this issue on these forums, once again NO response or any help at all was given.
When I lodged a support ticket, this was acknowledged as an TECHNICAL ISSUE.
It was NOT described by Technical Support as a missing feature.
Avast! may feel On Demand Scans are of secondary importance, but those Time Machine Backups are of CRITICAL IMPORTANCE to all Mac users and we simply do NOT want them ever being tampered with.
Lets face the fact that Avast! for Mac has a very bad record for false positives.
If a Time Machine Backup gets corrupted in anyway by Avast!'s actions that backup will now be unusable to me.
That is NOT an issue of secondary importance like Avast! seems to think it is.
However I did indeed have to wait over 12 months for those very important exclusions to be finally added.
That's simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!!!.
2. HTTPS Scanning Issue.
Yes in fact I do clearly understand the advanced option of Scanning HTTPS.
The plain and simple fact is when Avast! introduces a feature like this for us to use it is absolutely vital that Mac services such App Store Updates - which also provide all of your Mac Security Updates should have exclusions included in this HTTPS Scanner by default.
This is a very bad and quite serious over-site by Avast!.
We simply should NOT have to wait over 12 months for those exclusions to added for those whom wish to use this advanced feature.
People should NOT have to go and search high and low for these server addresses and add exclusions for vital security services manually when they should be there by default in the first place to avoid these types of issues.
Once again this is simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!!.
3. Packer Bombs
This issue Avast! has about certain files being identified as a "Decompression Bomb" has been going on for over 5 years.
As I pointed out: STILL NOT FIXED AFTER 5 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is quite interesting to note that Intego or other Mac antivirus simply don't make this mistake.
I NEVER stated that this false positive detection was identified as Malware, just yet another Avast! false positive.
Just pointing out that here is another very long standing example of Avast!'s quite bad reputation for making false positives.
Take a long hard long look at the problem encountered by Thomas Reed when an simple RSS on his website was identified by Avast! as "WireLurker"
http://www.thesafemac.com/avast-detects-rss-feed-as-wirelurker/I quite frankly was absolutely shocked and disgusted by Avast!'s handling of the whole situation.
A truly professional company would have sorted this out as rapidly as possible and sincerely apologised for the trouble caused.
But NO Avast! did NOT do the respectable and professionally responsible thing, A representative of Avast! posted repeatedly on their website in a quite combative manner.
I don't believe Avast! has formally apologised to Thomas Reed,
but I quite strongly believe they should do so immediately without any reservations at all.
Once again this is SIMPLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!!
4. SAFEPRICE
You have said that I don't have to install this extension and I don't know if things have changed with the latest released version, but when I installed Avast! I am absolutely 100% certain that I was NOT given the option to refuse the "SafePrice" installation nor was any notification given that this component was included.
As pointed out this may have changed with the latest releases of Avast!
As for its uninstallation, well I am a loyal Firefox user and there was NOT any way to remove this "SafePrice" via the normal methods used to uninstall Firefox Extensions, it could only be disabled.
I have been informed that it can be uninstalled from the Safari browser, but I simply don't like Safari and don't use it unless Firefox has an issue with a particular website.
I am glad to see a frank and honest admission that Avast! does indeed get money for offering "SafePrice".
You have claimed that its debatable if "SafePrice" is Adware or not, well in that case in the light of your admission that Avast! does get money from "Safeprice"
I again insist that you take a very long hard look at the Wikipedia Definition of Adware wich I will post here yet again:
ADWARE AS DEFINED BY WIKIPEDIA.
Adware, or advertising-supported software, is any software package which automatically renders advertisements in order to generate revenue for its author. The advertisements may be in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user during the installation process.
Adware - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adware
I do NOT like having any connection with a company that has basically sold its soul in such a manner.
I really do prefer to use a security product which is free form the Avast!'s Technical Issues and doesn't have Avast!'s bad reputation for false positives.
Avast!'s reputation as a respectable security product is suffering quite badly because of these constant ongoing issues.
Avast!'s reputation is now even further tainted by the fact that it is now installing Adware.
I once again repeat that if a poll of Avast! for Mac users was conducted, I very strongly believe that the democratic majority would choose to reject "SafePrice".
Do you people at Avast! have any respect at all for what Avast! users want and do NOT want!.
I also prefer a security product which is published by company who has much higher moral and ethical values and provides a much higher quality product and exceptional Technical Support.
So it really has been a case of GOOD RIDDANCE TO AVAST!
I have also fully stated just about everything I have wanted to say about the nightmare Avast! for Mac has been to me.
I also feel the current debate is constantly going around in circles in respect to some points I have raised.
I am NOT going to post any more on these forums because of this.
All of your strongly biased and one eyed Avast! supporters can now go back to enjoying your shabby, amateurishly designed Avast! antivirus and the countless technical issues that Avast! will plague you with for years to come.
