SC Magazine 2006 Reader Trust Awards

Not long ago I thought I'd try a new computing magazine since all the main mags seemed to issue awards based on market visibility rather than any concrete testing. When I received my first issue of SC Magazine and saw a print ad for NOD 32, I thought perhaps I had stumbled upon a winner. But after seeing the latest issue which includes the 2006 Reader Trust Awards http://www.scawards.com/winners/2006.asp I can see that I am once again mistaken.

Granted, the awards are based on "reader trust" but listing some of these products as best in the class seems like a disservice to me. Either that or it gives a glimpse of some of the reasons why so many big businesses are continually threatened by every new wave of malware.

 

If this is what you will follow as advice regarding a pick for a good security program.........just dream on!!!!

 

Charges
"The Nominee agrees to pay such administration fee per nomination as is indicated on the nomination form. All companies will be invoiced after the voting has begun. Nominations must be paid before the voting ends

No refund of the administration fee shall be made in respect of the suspension or disqualification of a nomination as a result of a breach of these terms and conditions or of the nominee's failure to comply with any rules of the Awards or of an instruction of the Organizer or the Judges."

WTF??

 

That means the more you pay the judges, the better your product will be rated.

 

Yup... read here - http://www.scawards.com/sponsors_global.asp and you see how much it costs to get an award from them depending on how widely you want the "news" spread.

 

Oh my ******.
Incredible amount of cash for basically a fake award. Shamefull behaviour.

 

Lol and i thought you people are smarter...

Sponsorship is not faked award (it's not like they buy the award). It's just that this organisation or whatever it is adds commercials to specific magazines and stuff. For example Alwil Software created a new thread on their forums and asked users that are happy with avast! to vote for it. And we did. I don't think they payed such ridiculous amounts just to be the winners in any way. Symantec or McAfee can afford such stuff, but software house as small as Alwil probably not. But only they know for sure...

It's logical, if you want more votes you need to show people where to vote. But tradeoff is the $$$ you have to pay i guess.
ESET could as well place a thread here and do the same i belive.

 

I guess I'm really stupid then, but this part sure looks like it to me...

Included in the price of "sponsorship" at the link above.

 

Perhaps this only means they are given the opportunity to present an award? It doesn't really specify whether they are on the giving or recieving end of the award.