** INTRODUCING: NEW BETA VERSION OF AVAST - NOW 6.0.1198 **

[Gopher John]

"US users" doesn't mean "English version" - you can live in US and have a Chinese version installed.
What is the problem with the log? It basically just says that you didn't register for that option, so nothing is going to happen.

The check is benign, I agree.  However, I think that a better option would be to disable even the check, although according to my log it only occurs on Windows Start (or Restart).

[DavidR]

"US users" doesn't mean "English version" - you can live in US and have a Chinese version installed.
What is the problem with the log? It basically just says that you didn't register for that option, so nothing is going to happen.

The problem is why is it there and active when there is no need for it to be checking when the CreditAlert function isn't available for the non-us customers. The the creation of the log and its constant trying to start the credit monitor, checking and updating of the log

01/07/2011 12:31:45   (Thread ID: 956)   OK: Try to start credit monitor thread
01/07/2011 12:31:45   (Thread ID: 2076)   OK: Subscriber ID doesn't exist, waiting for install event

If there isn't going to be a CreditAlert available in the program (non-us customers) then there should be a flag to prevent it trying to start the credit monitor thread, the creation of and update of the creditmonitor.log.

Me I don't have a problem with it at all, but I know when people see it they are going to be somewhat more suspicious of it than I; the only reason I raised it is this is a beta build and I don't think the logic fits when the creditalert feature isn't applicable, neither should the logging. You only have to look at the reaction the CreditAlert got when first muted. People will want to know exactly what is being monitored.

So when the creditmonitor.log isn't required because it isn't applicable for non-us customers, why have that logging enabled, raising suspicions.

[Gopher John]

Does anyone have a new Scan in the Scan Now tab?  I have one named "? ? ? ?" at the bottom of the list.  I don't remember creating it, and only noticed it after this update.

Nothing wrong with my system!

Avast is working fine.

Since DavidR, DJBone, and you have confirmed that the scan is not part of the normal update, it was either a glitch during the update or something that I did (most likely the latter).  I simply deleted that scan.

[NON]

"US users" doesn't mean "English version" - you can live in US and have a Chinese version installed.
What is the problem with the log? It basically just says that you didn't register for that option, so nothing is going to happen.

Yeah I myself can live with that, but I also think if this feature is disabled on AvastUI then this logging or checking could be disabled, like DavidR says.

[Asyn]

what will happen to my subscription if I install AIS beta over 6.0.1125?

It will still work.

[ady4um]

"US users" doesn't mean "English version" - you can live in US and have a Chinese version installed.
What is the problem with the log? It basically just says that you didn't register for that option, so nothing is going to happen.

Yeah I myself can live with that, but I also think if this feature is disabled on AvastUI then this logging or checking could be disabled, like DavidR says.

I think that what DavidR is, generally speaking, "logic" about this issue/comment/suggestion. But I'd like to make it even more strict.

There shouldn't be almost anything related to the new "feature" in "almost" any case.

The "only" case with a log for this "feature" should be when the user actively accepts it.

So, if the user:
A) is not a "US user"; OR,

B1) is a "US-user"; AND
B2) does NOT activates the "feature";

then, at most, the log could include one first line, and that's it, nothing more. Better yet, no log about it, since there is nothing to log.

The log should only exist if the user complies with both conditions simultaneously:
C1) is a "US-user"; AND
C2) the "feature" is/was activated (by the user) at least once.

If the feature was never activated by the user (no matter "US" or other), there is nothing to try/check/test/retest/confirm/connect; hence there is nothing to log.

As DavidR mentioned, this minimizes "questions/doubts/complaints..." about it.

[igor]

There is no reliable way to determine who is a US user and who is not - so there are no "A", "B1" or "C1" conditions.
It's very simple: registered ==> active, not registered ==> disabled.

The log just says "going to check whether the feature is enabled... no it's not."
OK, maybe the log is a bit too verbose, I certainly wouldn't have any problem with hiding those two lines... but that's all.

[RejZoR]

I suggest you test compatibility with Raxco PerfectDisk 12 Professional on Windows XP SP3 32bit.
For as long as i had this AIS beta installed, my netbook was grinding HDD badly on startup, everything took ages to open, PerfectDisk couldn't perform boot defrag. After i've removed avast!, everything was working again. I'm donwloading AIS beta again to doublecheck.

EDIT:
Not sure which avast! component exactly is causing it but yeah, i can confirm it's reproducable.
Installed it 3 times and each time after installation, awful HDD grinding and really bad performance. After i've removed it, everything was fine again. The latest stable version however doesn't seem to exhibit such problems...

[DavidR]

There is no reliable way to determine who is a US user and who is not - so there are no "A", "B1" or "C1" conditions.
It's very simple: registered ==> active, not registered ==> disabled.

The log just says "going to check whether the feature is enabled... no it's not."
OK, maybe the log is a bit too verbose, I certainly wouldn't have any problem with hiding those two lines... but that's all.

Well how does the program determine that the CreditAlert function isn't available in the avastUI or the avast Settings. Surely that same detection/determination could prevent the creation of the creditmonitor.log file and the logging.
As you say:
"It's very simple: registered ==> active, not registered ==> disabled", no creation of the file, logging, nothing nada.

01/07/2011 12:31:45   (Thread ID: 956)   OK: Try to start credit monitor thread
01/07/2011 12:31:45   (Thread ID: 2076)   OK: Subscriber ID doesn't exist, waiting for install event

It isn't present in my installation as I haven't registered as the option wasn't there.

[jrace]

There is no reliable way to determine who is a US user and who is not - so there are no "A", "B1" or "C1" conditions.
It's very simple: registered ==> active, not registered ==> disabled.

The log just says "going to check whether the feature is enabled... no it's not."
OK, maybe the log is a bit too verbose, I certainly wouldn't have any problem with hiding those two lines... but that's all.

Now I am coming to the limits of my logic!

It says at the beginning of this topic :
"Here's the list of the most important changes:
.....
- introduced new CreditAlert feature (US customers only)
....."
So it is not as you said the US user but the US customer who is supplied with that feature. That tells me if I bye avast! in USA I have the feature and otherwise not.

Consequently for non US customers there is no button, setting, link or whatever in the program interface to get in touch with the sponsoring company to opt for a "Subscriber ID" and use the new CreditAlert feature.

Why do I have a living "creditmonitor.log"?

If somebody says this button or whatever is only in the PRO/AIS version - why do I have a living "creditmonitor.log" in the free version?

Everybody says - ok it it harmless it is just sitting there eating up a few bites and keeps telling me:
"01.07.2011 13:15:05   (Thread ID: 2088)   OK: Try to start credit monitor thread
01.07.2011 13:15:05   (Thread ID: 3188)   OK: Subscriber ID doesn't exist, waiting for install event".

I fully support all the statements of the rest of the gang:

• I am not supposed to use it.
  I do not like it especially on a computer with online banking installed.
  There must be a way to disable or better delete this part of the program for the rest of the world (non US customers).

I hope there will be a clarification until Final version!

[igor]

OK, my bad - the settings in the UI are shown only when the Windows locale is US English. While I don't think it's a very good solution (there are definitely a lot of people in the US who may have a different language set), it's probably good enough for the start, to minimize the confusion.

But OK, those two log lines will be hidden

[jrace]

OK, my bad - the settings in the UI are shown only when the Windows locale is US English. While I don't think it's a very good solution (there are definitely a lot of people in the US who may have a different language set), it's probably good enough for the start.

But OK, those two log lines will be hidden

I think the best and most honest way should be to make the whole thing a selectable feature during installation with a remark "US Customers only".

In that case -no install ==> no log!  (And not a log with hidden entries )

I guess everybody should be happy with that!

[igor]

I'm afraid that would be exactly the same - when translated into the compute code.
Instead of checking whether the feature is registered, the code would be checking whether the feature is installed.

I mean, yes, everybody might be happier, but in reality it doesn't make much sense because it's the same piece of code.

[jrace]

I'm afraid that would be exactly the same - when translated into the compute code.
Instead of checking whether the feature is registered, the code would be checking whether the feature is installed.

I mean, yes, everybody might be happier, but in reality it doesn't make much sense because it's the same piece of code.

I guess you misunderstood me or may be I am talking just rubbish because I do not understand very much about code.
What I was trying to explain is:
Make the total code for "CreditAlert feature" selectable during installation even the checking routine.
So when you don't install it there will be no "CreditAlert feature"-code, no "Try to start credit monitor thread"-code, no code for checking whether the feature is installed and no code for checking whether "Subscriber ID" exists.
You know code for a credit alert feature on a machine with highly sensitive banking data on it (online banking) that really does not sound too good!

I would love you think it over!

[igor]

OK, a bit more in detail then.

First, I don't understand why a credit alert feature doesn't sound good on a machine with sensitive banking data - when it has absolutely nothing to do with them... no idea.

Second, there has to be a checking whether the feature is installed - if there wasn't, it wouldn't be possible to install that feature, it simply wouldn't exist.

Third, the feature is tiny - it does nearly nothing locally (I mean even if registered/activated). If registered, it only connects to our server occasionally and downloads a status update (without sending any data out there); if the status says there was a change, a popup is shown. Basically all the code is already there in avast! for other purposes (contacting our servers, showing popups, rendering HTML code) - so the feature reuses that code and grows the whole program only an insignificant bit.
The feature is so tiny that making it separable, which means adding some code into avast! setup that would make it possible to add/remove that feature, and making it connectible into the program once installed - could actually make the program bigger (without that feature installed) than it is now, with that feature installed. So... I kinda don't see the point in separating it.