Author Topic: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - NOW 6.0.1198 **  (Read 189885 times)

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sandeep108

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #165 on: June 27, 2011, 12:37:15 PM »
If it is only for US customers, will avast include it in the program code for international users as well?

If so, I will have to seriously think about switching as a paid avast customer after my subscription is over.

I switched to avast from bloated Norton AVG, etc. Unfortunately I am now seeing the same bloat with avast with various features/code included. Probably one can opt out or not opt in, but all the same the program bloat, high resource, registry clogging will be there. All I want is a light fast, uptodate anti-virus program.

Once again please concentrate on your core strength, instead of adding all these useless features.

Offline igor

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #166 on: June 27, 2011, 12:43:24 PM »
There is only one program, one installer... how would you expect the separation to be done?
As for the "bloating"... if unused, the feature might take some 10KB on your disk, that's it. No resource usage, no registry, no effect on speed for sure.
« Last Edit: June 27, 2011, 12:45:08 PM by igor »

Offline Lisandro

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #167 on: June 27, 2011, 01:30:57 PM »
All I want is a light fast, uptodate anti-virus program.
You have it... And very customizable also...

Once again please concentrate on your core strength, instead of adding all these useless features.
If the user can choose, I see no problem. The user can disable, or even not install it.
The best things in life are free.

Harikrishnan

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #168 on: June 27, 2011, 04:15:55 PM »
Igor   ``om shanthi om``   Arizona

May God bring peace between You Two..... :-\

Nesivos

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #169 on: June 27, 2011, 04:56:09 PM »
There is only one program, one installer... how would you expect the separation to be done?
As for the "bloating"... if unused, the feature might take some 10KB on your disk, that's it. No resource usage, no registry, no effect on speed for sure.


Sorry about that.  In the normal computer parlance you are correct that using only 10KB on your disk is not bloatware.

However, to me bloatware is any additional program or option that comes with the program that is not are not part of the main function of the program regardless of whether you choose to install the additional program or use the feature or not.   While one could make a good argument that credit alert updates and information are part of Internet Security it seems to me to be a bit of a stretch.  Your credit can be messed up by many ways that have nothing to do with the Internet, e.g. stolen mail, creditor error, not paying bills when due or at all, credit company screw up with your database, erroneously reported information to credit companies and so on.   So therefore, I consider the credit alert option to be bloatware.


DBone

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #170 on: June 27, 2011, 05:50:57 PM »
To avast team credit report when you check on report your credit go down each time at end you have no credit.Good job avast to make us have no credit.  VLK,PK,IGOR,MARTINZ.

Hi DBone and Arizona,
the credit monitoring is done through the ID Watchdog, which has mutual agreements with the 3 US Credit Bureaus. So it's not the same as checking your credit report with a car dealer ;-) The credit is monitored once per 24h, so imagine that each check would lower it..;-D
So...
1. CreditAlert does not influence your credit score
2. It's a optional feature, so if you don't like it, don't use it

Martin

Thank you Martin for the clarification. I assumed that "monitoring" was different then "checking", but you know what happens when you ASSume! :D

ArtemisF0wl

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #171 on: June 27, 2011, 05:53:59 PM »
All I want is a light fast, uptodate anti-virus program.


Avast free   ::)


honestly, i think some of the ppl in this thread should be ashamed.. Avast offers a top notch product;light, fast and effective.. if you dont like it, switch! bashing the avast employees who work hard every day is childish and pointless.  dont want 'bloat' or extra features? switch to clamAV and put a sock in it :-X

Offline igor

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #172 on: June 27, 2011, 06:16:51 PM »
However, to me bloatware is any additional program or option that comes with the program that is not are not part of the main function of the program regardless of whether you choose to install the additional program or use the feature or not.   While one could make a good argument that credit alert updates and information are part of Internet Security it seems to me to be a bit of a stretch.  Your credit can be messed up by many ways that have nothing to do with the Internet, e.g. stolen mail, creditor error, not paying bills when due or at all, credit company screw up with your database, erroneously reported information to credit companies and so on.   So therefore, I consider the credit alert option to be bloatware.

I understand your point, though I'd say the question is - what is the main function of the program? I would say you may be putting too much stress on the word "Internet", while some may incline more towards the word "Security" (which is certainly a wide and vague term, I agree).
The Credit Monitor, or at least the premium version, is not just about the credit score - but about many other things (which again don't need to be directly connected to the Internet). It may help you to discover identity thefts - and the big benefit of the "Internet" adjective here is the speed of the discovery (which can certainly help to minimize the damage).

Anyway, today's malware is not about spreading the author's creation for fun anymore, the aim of malware is to steal your money, your data, and possibly your identify (based on the stolen data). Since avast! already tries to protect you against those malicious computer programs, and since it also offers SafeZone to have some protection even in case the first level of protection failed and some malware got in... I don't see it as that a stretch to offer some kind of protection for the second-level failure as well. Sure, your identity may be stolen in other ways, stealing your documents or paper mail... but similarly your computer may be infected with malware by somebody breaking into your house, taking the hard disk out of your computer, planting malicious files there and putting it back (possibly disabling the security software simultaneously, which could hardly do anything against it if not running). So I wouldn't really draw such a thick line between the real and virtual world - especially since those two are getting closer and closer, and the identity theft via "Internet" is likely to increase, not the opposite.

OK, that's most likely the argument you were talking about. I understand that you might see it as a bit of a stretch, but I really don't think it's that a stretch to deserve the word "bloatware"... I mean, come on, it's not a tic-tac-toe or a family tree creator ;)

Nesivos

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #173 on: June 27, 2011, 06:37:30 PM »
I thought you might write that.  It is true what you say, but at least for me since I don't borrow money I have no need for Credit services.   Even if my credit went to pot it wouldn't affect me.  So for me it is bloatware.

As far as Internet Identity Theft goes Safe Zone and HTTPS along with changing one's password regularly at one's financial institutions, limiting the number of financial institutions that one uses and checking their balances and activity at least three times a week will pretty much take care of the Identify Theft problem whether it happens on the Net or otherwise.   For example ID Theft can be a problem when using "Debit" cards to purchase items.  I also never do that because of the risk involved.

However, for someone who borrows "buku bucks" or does not do as I suggested above then it would not be bloatware. :)

P.S.  Highly unlikely anyone would break into my house, since I don't have guests over, rarely have a maintenance person inside my home and my home is very difficult to find even if you are looking for it.  Chances of someone breaking into my little home are pretty slim and on top of that they would have to have a good deal of computer expertise.  So the odds of someone messing with my home network from inside my home are pretty slim to say the least.  I also don't use programs like GoToAssist or whatever it is called.

Then again I do a lot of things security wise that most people don't so I agree for the general user Credit Alert is not bloatware.

« Last Edit: June 27, 2011, 06:48:01 PM by Nesivos »

Dch48

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #174 on: June 27, 2011, 08:01:50 PM »
There is only one program, one installer... how would you expect the separation to be done?
As for the "bloating"... if unused, the feature might take some 10KB on your disk, that's it. No resource usage, no registry, no effect on speed for sure.


Sorry about that.  In the normal computer parlance you are correct that using only 10KB on your disk is not bloatware.

However, to me bloatware is any additional program or option that comes with the program that is not are not part of the main function of the program regardless of whether you choose to install the additional program or use the feature or not.   While one could make a good argument that credit alert updates and information are part of Internet Security it seems to me to be a bit of a stretch.  Your credit can be messed up by many ways that have nothing to do with the Internet, e.g. stolen mail, creditor error, not paying bills when due or at all, credit company screw up with your database, erroneously reported information to credit companies and so on.   So therefore, I consider the credit alert option to be bloatware.


Following that reasoning, you'd have to say that the WebRep component is also bloatware and I would tend to agree with that. If it isn't directly related to security and preventing infection, then maybe it doesn't belong.

Offline igor

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #175 on: June 27, 2011, 08:30:32 PM »
You are right that it's a bit similar. Yes, WebRep is not about infections in the sense of a malicious piece of computer code that performs something unwanted.

WebRep is about a "higher level" of danger (from the logical point of view, not necessarily in the actual severity or sophistication) - WebRep is about pages where you ordered something, paid for that but never actually received anything, pages where they tried to trick you into doing something you should actually avoid, pages where you registered and you've been spammed ever since, pages you wouldn't want your children to visit... etc. There's nothing wrong with the webpage from the computer point of view (no exploits, no malicious binaries, no hidden frames) - but the (human) intent behind that page might be bad, and WebRep makes it possible for the users to share their experiences with that (thus warning others of the danger) - something that a content scanner cannot see, no matter how sophisticated it is.

So again, I believe it actually is related to security - just not to the "computer code or network traffic"-only security.

Jem

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #176 on: June 27, 2011, 09:40:26 PM »
You are right that it's a bit similar. Yes, WebRep is not about infections in the sense of a malicious piece of computer code that performs something unwanted.

WebRep is about a "higher level" of danger (from the logical point of view, not necessarily in the actual severity or sophistication) - WebRep is about pages where you ordered something, paid for that but never actually received anything, pages where they tried to trick you into doing something you should actually avoid, pages where you registered and you've been spammed ever since, pages you wouldn't want your children to visit... etc. There's nothing wrong with the webpage from the computer point of view (no exploits, no malicious binaries, no hidden frames) - but the (human) intent behind that page might be bad, and WebRep makes it possible for the users to share their experiences with that (thus warning others of the danger) - something that a content scanner cannot see, no matter how sophisticated it is.

So again, I believe it actually is related to security - just not to the "computer code or network traffic"-only security.

In my view you've just outlined all the reasons why functionality like this should not be included in the core Avast product. If you want, and feel the need for this kind of 'security related information', i.e. not necessarily a threat (and who are Avast or any AV vendor to presuppose 'human intent') then you are free to install such a tool / browser add-on - and there are several out there. There has been so much criticism of AV vendors 'inventing' extra functionality to make their products more appealing and supposedly give them a competitive edge, and I for one would hope that Avast would note that message and not head down this rocky road. It can be very off-putting when the principle thing most users expect from their AV tool, I believe, is protection against real, proven threats or developing threats. You can't protect people from themselves though, thus no AV tool is perfect and by adding this 'fringe' technology to Avast you are risking laying the product open to criticism and devaluing it as a serious security tool going forward. You can go on stretching the 'related to security' reasoning a step too far.

Hermite15

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #177 on: June 27, 2011, 09:58:50 PM »
new build ??? ;)

Offline Lisandro

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #178 on: June 27, 2011, 10:12:53 PM »
regardless of whether you choose to install the additional program or use the feature or not.
I disagree. It does regard, it's not regardless in my opinion.

So therefore, I consider the credit alert option to be bloatware.
Don't use it.
The best things in life are free.

Offline igor

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Re: ** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - 6.0.1184 **
« Reply #179 on: June 27, 2011, 10:20:40 PM »
I suppose it won't be very surprising if I wouldn't agree :)

First, I don't see why one type of threat should be more important or serious than the other.
Second, with all the polymorphism, scrambling and hiding, PUPs and fake AVs - and the resulting heuristics on the scanners side, we're long past the "proven" threats anyway.
Third, you are right that you cannot protect people from themselves - but that includes the "ordinary" virus scanning as well (now I'm referring to people disabling their AV scanners to get to an infected site, filling complex forms and complaining about false positives that are obviously not, etc.)  So we can at least try, or call it all futile and go do something else.
And fourth, I am not sure what "most" users expect from their AV tool, but I'd say that if the numbers were considered, most members on this forum would belong to a small minority of users, with the remaining majority having rather different preferences. But that's just a personal guess for sure.