Comodo removed from Softpedia

Discussion in 'privacy general' started by Acadia, Apr 26, 2009.

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  1. Fly

    Fly Registered Member

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    From what I recall reading, IAC (which owns ask.com) sold/ditched Zango adware, supposedly because they wanted to make a clean start.

    They'll never learn. Something like 'once a thief, always a thief'.
     
  2. vizhip

    vizhip Registered Member

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    Greets -

    Actually there are many of us that moved away from Norton a while back when they started making changes to their practices... but back then there weren't forums like this to post our findings...

    Now days when friends get new systems with that Norton 90 day license installed, we tend to restore the OS so that it has the correct drivers, but we are not stuck with Norton or other junk that companies now include on their new systems...

    Any time that a company steps up and provides a great software package and makes a name for itself in security, well... it then creates a reputation that has expectations along with the rep...

    The problem then becomes... even if a change is warranted... the reputation must be shielded first or it will take a hit... Neither Norton nor Comodo bothered to inform folks well ahead of the game what they were planning... nor did they bother to provide any possible research into the change in behavior of Ask that they are now claiming... Instead they just acted... (and yes, Norton had other problems way before this, but this is the latest and very similar to Comodo's situation)...

    If either company had posted something in its forums ahead of time saying that they were looking at adding this to their products... folks might have thought they were crazy because it isn't security related, but they would have posted more questions up front to determine why... At that point would be the perfect time to introduce the research done about the changes that ASK has undertaken in an effort to become respected... or at least not shot out of hand immediately...

    It isn't like this was a security feature that needed to be hidden from competitors... it is a revenue stream... plain and simple... and even if they were going to implement it regardless of what the public said... by placing the information out front a lot of the bickering that is going on here would have been avoided...

    The original issue of whether Comodo is now considered Ad-ware is a moot point because Comodo *IS* Ad-ware now that the toolbar is included... regardless of whether folks OPT OUT or not... Comodo has a revenue stream from the toolbar included within its software...

    The reason Norton isn't considered Ad-ware with the same toolbar is... they already charge you for their product...

    So now the perception of providing good security when changes have been made to a system without the user FULLY understanding the changes or the ramifications is where the real issue lies...

    Yes, the EULA said there was an Ask Toolbar in there, but it didn't provide which piece had it and thus a person saying don't allow Ask as the search engine may not have known that didn't matter and the toolbar was still installed... Or in the case of Norton - they HAD no choice... they just got it rammed onto the system anyways... in my conservatitive point of view, both companies got it backwards... they should have remembered that they don't own the PC... the user does... and they should be up front with the user to maintain their reputation...

    Now days both Comodo and Norton have a reputation that is degraded...

    Norton had a dominance of the Anti-virus software for so long... and then they added products and added products and finally started having to cut costs... and at the same time, their quality started slipping and the competition around the world started becoming much stronger...

    Sure... some of the blame can be placed on Microsoft for many different OS versions with so many different drivers, security requirements and stability issues... But Norton was afraid of losing any potential revenue base and rather than wait to see if things stabilized, they jumped right in and offered some of the first available for the new OS... and boy does THAT cost money to do... and just think of all the changes and ramifications when new major patches come out o_O

    Norton is still thought of as a strong vendor for corporate software, but they are even running into competition there as well... but you can bet that they did not try and push the ASK toolbar on any of their corporate customers... and why not o_O because it isn't security related and they could stand to lose a lot of corporate dollars from such a stunt...

    So... back to the original thought... you think it is only Comodo that gets stepped on when they pull a stunt like this... Nope... they are just one of the latest... but I still say the thing of it is this...

    When you become big enough that you have developed a reputation... it is very hard to keep that reputation with stiff competition without adding issues to it yourself with questionable practices introduced into the mix...

    It is all a matter of timing... when they step forward with the info and the idea... and in this case, Comodo didn't line their ducks up first, they pushed things through for a new revenue stream and then had to start working to line things up in recovery...

    Do they care what we think o_O not really... after all... we are a small minority of their user base... or even potential user base... and softpedia is a small slightly used download site, thus not really worth more than pushing that legal letterhead threatening action...

    But they should realize that they have left a small door open for their competition and should expect a little more steam behind the situation until they are able to appease their own users on their own forums...

    Regards -
    -Bob
     
  3. Fly

    Fly Registered Member

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    I just took a look at the Comodo forums per your link.

    A lot of infighting. Melih's replies are rather weak.

    But let's face it, this adware thing in Comodo is here to stay, at least for the near future. Comodo must have a contract with IAC, so they probably can't just remove the toolbars (or change the current opt-in), unless they are willing and able to pay IAC for compensation.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2009
  4. dw426

    dw426 Registered Member

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    His replies are weak because he's gotten stuck on this irrelevant definition of adware/spyware/whateverware. He's not going to be happy until everyone is holding hands and dancing around him saying "All Hail Melih". That's my personal opinion of course, but it seems to me he's turning out to be that kind of guy. He can't get it through his Confucious wannabe thick head that people DON'T LIKE Ask, and they aren't real keen on toolbars in their security products.

    I really don't give a damn what the antispyware coalition defines as adware, in fact, I don't give a damn what anyone defines it as. If I don't want a stinking toobar, I don't want it, not opt-in, not opt-out, nada. if he knew a single thing about Ask, he would have seen this coming like an F5 tornado in an open field. But he's been showing lately he knows very little about quite a lot. Rant over.
     
  5. Horrified

    Horrified Registered Member

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    I have been saying much the same on the Comodo forums. Comodo’s CEO, Melih, just can’t help himself. It seems that every couple of months or so he has some inappropriate, offensive rant.

    While I haven’t bothered to visit the Comodo forums for about a year, I did drop by recently and noticed that all my old posts had been deleted, despite Melih himself even marking these posts as within their forum guidelines.

    I find it ironic that Melih ignores the real issues and accuses Softpedia of misusing the definition of adware. Melih has created his own definition troll - a poster who posts something that Melih doesn't like. In particular, something about Melih that Melih doesn't like.

    Comodo seems to lose its best mods as they get fed up with it. I can’t imagine that Comodo can possibly be a happy place to work. With the financial squeeze putting pressure on everything, I would not at all be surprised to see the Comodo bubble burst. In fact, I’d be surprised if it didn’t explode.

    Horrified
     
  6. vizhip

    vizhip Registered Member

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    I am thinking that Melih needs to take a chill pill and not take it all to heart...

    Yes... he is the CEO and yes, he made a bad decision adding the taskbar and making the options appear the way they did... but it isn't the end of the world... he just needs to bite the bullet, say he did it for the money (which everyone else has already figured out) and tell the posters if they want to pony up the dollars he will gain by adding the task bar and the dollars he would lose by breaking the contract, that he will be glad to remove it...

    That is... if he would go that far...

    I think he needs to take a page or two out of Mike's book over at OA... Not much ruffles him... well... not TOO much ruffles him when he is rested and not pushing out code for a new release... and he definitely knows how to turn a phrase...

    Owning your own company is not easy... specially when you have to work the software end as well as the ownership responsibilities... am doing it now and man I didn't realize what I was stepping into... ))) still... it isn't a reason to take things personal... and I think that is Melih's problem... he is taking it personally...

    Regards -
    -Bob
     
  7. Mrkvonic

    Mrkvonic Linux Systems Expert

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  8. The Hammer

    The Hammer Registered Member

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    I care. It's given a well explained passing grade:D Oh, and by the way an interesting review of Windows 7 on that site.
     
    Last edited: May 9, 2009
  9. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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  10. Stem

    Stem Firewall Expert

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    And so do some members on this forum.

    @All

    When installing software check what you are installing. I have installed Comodo a number of times, The first time I installed I took notice and disabled these options.

    This is getting boring guys, move on...


    - Stem
     
  11. dw426

    dw426 Registered Member

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    Good review as always Mrkvonic, I too have joined the ranks of the folks feeling enough is enough now. Do we have to like it? Nope. But, according to this review, is it REALLY hurting us? Again, Nope. Time to put this one to bed and tuck it in.
     
  12. vizhip

    vizhip Registered Member

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    If only the products that I support as part of my job ran on linux... I would be forced to learn it better and make the move... but alas... I am one of these old farts that stay with the platforms where we make our money...

    Yeah... for 25 years it was VMS... and a few years of MAC support... now Windows...

    Maybe soon... if I don't retire first... )))

    Nice write-up...

    Regards -
    -Bob
     
  13. Beavenburt

    Beavenburt Registered Member

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    Well done Mrk. Open Source baby, that's where it's at and kiss all that **** goodbye. :thumb:
     
  14. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    I totally agree. Consider it tucked in and say good night folks.

    Thread Closed.

    Pete
     
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