is it a good idea to have the email sig on by default ?

[davexnet]

I never even realized avast had the audacity to inject a self promotion into web based email.
I have just the file and web shields installed. It's the last thing I expected when I sent an email,
no matter to whom.

Some company email servers may detect avast's content and send the message to spam, or
junk it  outright.  An important communication may be lost.  This could be disastrous.

Has avast thought this through?  It seems reckless to me.

[Asyn]

-> https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=180216.0

[davexnet]

Thanks - I had already seen that. 

The problem I have is that the email sig is enabled by default.  Before I found that and even realized avast was corrupting my
email, some messages I had sent to people at big companies were mysteriously never received.
I suspect their email server saw the avast "content" and junked them.

The passage of time since I installed the product, going about my business as usual, until I discovered the problem
is the issue.  These are business communications - think about that.

[Asyn]

Sorry, nothing I can help you with. Wait for one of the devs.

[merckxist]

Has avast thought this through?  It seems wreckless to me.

+1

But wait, there's more (of us). Over at a self-named Avast Fansite they have a poll going on this subject and only 16 out of ~13,500 votes were in favor of it. All the rest (about 50/50), intended to, or already had, either turned off the signature or uninstalled the entire product.

Although this is obviously not a malfunction like the ones Eddy and others have noted in General Topics: Wake up avast!, survey results like this would indicate avast is also losing installations by making this option opt-out rather than opt-in.

[davexnet]

I think big companies ignore polls until their position becomes untenable.

In my case I didn't even know it was doing it,
I thought it only applied to non-web email, and then only to those who installed the email shield.

I'm incredulous that avast inserted their promotion into my outgoing email, essentially turning it into spam.

[bob3160]

Reported to Avast. Let's see if the reply.

[davexnet]

Thanks Bob

[MartinZ]

Hi davexnet,

thanks for your feedback. We definitely listen to this feedback and already made some changes:
1. these signatures are turned off by default for paid users
2. when the signature should be inserted for the first time we will inform the user with easy option to disable it (this will be live by next week)

Martin

[Charyb-0]

Hi davexnet,thanks for your feedback. We definitely listen to this feedback and already made some changes:1. these signatures are turned off by default for paid users2. when the signature should be inserted for the first time we will inform the user with easy option to disable it (this will be live by next week)Martin

I thought, for certain, that this was a bug that would be fixed in the next release and an apology would be given for tampering with someone's personal email. Now you say that a person has to opt-out of this before a signature is inserted for the first time. Whose great idea is/was it to tamper with someone's email in the first place? There was no lesson learned with opting users in for the Google Chrome and Google toolbar fiasco? And now email? Geez.

[davexnet]

Hi davexnet,

thanks for your feedback. We definitely listen to this feedback and already made some changes:
1. these signatures are turned off by default for paid users
2. when the signature should be inserted for the first time we will inform the user with easy option to disable it (this will be live by next week)

Martin

I don't think you realize the precarious position avast is in.  If an important message gets lost because it was turned into spam by avast,
this could have serious repercussions, for both personal and business ($$$) messages.  avast is opening itself up to legal action.

As I said before, this is absolutely a reckless thing avast is doing.

[schmidthouse]

Hi davexnet,

thanks for your feedback. We definitely listen to this feedback and already made some changes:
1. these signatures are turned off by default for paid users
2. when the signature should be inserted for the first time we will inform the user with easy option to disable it (this will be live by next week)

Martin

I don't think you realize the precarious position avast is in.  If an important message gets lost because it was turned into spam by avast,
this could have serious repercussions, for both personal and business ($$$) messages.  avast is opening itself up to legal action.

As I said before, this is absolutely a wreckless thing avast is doing.

+1

[bob3160]

Hi davexnet,

thanks for your feedback. We definitely listen to this feedback and already made some changes:
1. these signatures are turned off by default for paid users
2. when the signature should be inserted for the first time we will inform the user with easy option to disable it (this will be live by next week)

Martin

So if you pay for the product, there aren't going to be any interceptions to generate the message unless you check the box.
In the free version you need to turn off the interception by Avast. As already mention, that could make this a spam email.
Who will be liable for any financial loss

[schmidthouse]

Hi davexnet,

thanks for your feedback. We definitely listen to this feedback and already made some changes:
1. these signatures are turned off by default for paid users
2. when the signature should be inserted for the first time we will inform the user with easy option to disable it (this will be live by next week)

Martin

So if you pay for the product, there aren't going to be any interceptions to generate the message unless you check the box.
In the free version you need to turn off the interception by Avast. As already mention, that could make this a spam email.
Who will be liable for any financial loss

Years ago I used an email program called "MSGTAG". This program would insert a "signature message" into an outgoing email AS WELL AS "code" that would notify the sender that the recipient had RECEIVED/OPENED the email.
If I can recall correctly, Numerous important businesses and government officials filed formal complaints and the developers/company were held liable and was forced to dissolve/stop the service/practice after loosing legal battles.

Edit: I realize this is not exactly the same thing. I'm just recalling/saying.