I'll leave Avast on one of my machines, the second one where I'm keeping really important stuff will be protected by something paid, probably KIS 2010. The thing is, that as a free user I do not feel that I have the basic to demand a quality service. After I'll pay, and something similar would happen I am justified to demand a quality support/service (and can be harsh while demanding it). It is sad, because for a long time I had been recommending Avast + Zone Alarm and few other programs to other people, as a way to keep their PC's relatively safe for free. Some of them moved to paid distributions in their companies, after seeing that it does work... Now, I will not recommend it, neither be saying something negative about it - just being neutral.
What bothers me is the Avast reaction on that issue... I mean i.e.:
- where is the official info on avast.com
- where is the official info on a blog
- why, this relatively simple advice from support how to get rid the issue is still out there JUST in English? It should be posted in all supported languages, with visible links from avast.com
- why not simply push the info in that annoying little window where information about contest sometimes appears after update? People do have few PC's, sometimes they do know that their friends also are using Avast and through word of mouth information could spread
etc. the list could go on and on. I do not like companies that are trying to hide their mistakes.
The major thing here is, that computer related knowledge of many people is very small. Without an open information policy (where is the press release i.e.?), the chance they will be aware why their computer crashed is small. There were examples of people deleting important system components (you see that poping up window, beeping alarm, some mystery file names which look like Chinese for that person etc. If their knowledge is not deep enough they will simply trust the software advice (and after moving dozens of files to the chest, will start deleting them, because constant alarms may proof serious problem), they could lost connection with internet, or even their system could not reboot. I'm sure they are now simply scared.
It is really easy to transform from a positive brand ambassador to a negative one.