Avira Software Has Gone To The Dark Side

Avira ad-supported...
I've thought I will not live enough to see that... and here we are.
Shame on Avira.

 

People are overreacting. Servers don't run on air and programmers are not volunteers. Avira needs money. Everyone should be satisfied as they offer such a program for free. Norton promotes ask toolbar, Mcafee bombards with emails promoting their other programs, Avast tries to install google chrome, panda also has a toolbar. Almost everyone is doing this sort of staffs . This thread is simply pathetic.

 

Do any other AV programs advertise registry cleaners? I honestly think this would be a much smaller deal if it was Chrome compared to Registry Booster.

 

They did have a bundling deal on the website not long ago for Avira Premium or Internet Security I forget which, and TuneUp Utilities. It's UniBlue and not registry cleaners in particular that's the other half of the issue. I don't use Registry Cleaners though.

 

Yes Mcafee does. They promote their own registry cleaner. Look here .

 

the Dark Side of Everest

Hi Folks,

And it is not just advertising registry cleaners. After all if Macecraft (JV16) and Acelogix (Registry Tuneup) were being advertised, it would be a dubious idea, but not based on the scareware and scamware motif. The chances of people hosing their system would be small, and it would not be in response to scareware "SCAN NOW" pressure.

This is not meant as a defense of registry cleaners, simply to point out that the problem is one of basic ethics and helping prevent dozens or hundreds or more of people from damaging their systems. And hundreds or thousands of people having money essentially stolen by scareware, through Avira's actions and former good name.

Also we do not have to defend other toolbar installs and various arrangements in order to speak out here. Many of them are gray or dubious. However, few if any have the potential for the level of damage that Avira will be causing. This is not a slippery slope question, this is Everest.

Shalom,
Steven Avery

 

Avira needs money to survive, can't complain with their strategy. However they should have chosen a better partner.

 

Completely agree.

 

+1

 

IMO there's no need to overreact.

But i do think that this could be a problem, since most users that are not technical usually just clicks next . . . next . . . next and installs all the crappy toolbars/software/bundle that comes with it.

 

More adware on Avira. Controversial ones it seems. Still, this is blown out of proportion.

 

Avira Admin addresses the question:

https://forum.avira.com/wbb/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=131982

 

Keep in mind there would be a lot of Avira employees, from sales to working in the lab staff, who'd be against this decision, and have no say in the matter.

Sometimes all it takes is one person in a position of authority (eg. director speaking/influencing the CEO), who has no clear idea of the ramifications of their misguided decision, and spoils the good work for the many hard working staff toiling behind the scenes.

Only way I can see to turn the negative publicity around, offer the webguard for free, an optional opt-in google chrome download, only an internal ad in the GUI for Avira premium with firewall etc, and they're back on track.

 

Any company in the end has to make money to exist ,perhaps Avira were in need of some form of cash influx to survive?:-they cannot exist on the revenue they get from providing FREE software alone,and I am sure the amount they sell isn't enough to keep them buoyant,I would hazard a guess more users would complain if they just let product development go to dogs instead and let performance do a nose dive?
Some users make me laugh:-they want everything for free and want to dictate how the company providing this free software is run!

 

This view point is stated many times throughout the thread. The larger issue seems to be UniBlue and people are not complaining to the same degree about the toolbar. See post 181 for a sumarized view of the opposition to Avira's move.

 

lol, bye bye Avira ... after AVG another one met the corporate fat fate ...

 

If users don't like it let them move to another AV:-Whining about it on a forum isn't going to change company policy,and how about this for an idea:-let them pay for the one they like and then they will have a far broader choice of what they do and don't want on their PC
If Avira have resorted to this don't you think all of the companies(prob bar Microsoft) will be in a similar position,if it is to do with revenue others will most likely be following them down this path,the old saying about getting nothing for free does seem true

 

Get used to it people. There will be more of this type of business,as this economy isnt getting better anytime soon,and you think more companies wont go this route or go under,just wait.

 

After reading some comments (german language) on on kununu.com, a portal for rating your company I think you are right. It seems the same person(s) might be victims of the Dunning–Kruger effect. The next AntiVir release will either prove their genius or their total fail.

 

Great find. See translated to english: http://translate.google.com.au/tran...bw/tettnang/it/avira&sl=de&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

If you believe the more detailed reviews of 'staff working at avira', they aren't favourable towards upper management. The short reviews comment that it is a positive work environment but don't provide as much insight...

By the way, first post, welcome SeeTheTruth.

 

@ SeeTheTruth: Thanks for that very interesting kununu link, where one can read what disgruntled Avira employees (maybe like you? ) have to say.

I thought a while ago, that Avira might have severe problems. - First there was surprisingly no new version in march ("v11") and I raised my eyebrows. Considering that proactive (32-bit only) feature in v10 is a hoax at best .. (I had one false positive, else it seems to be dead from the beginning, only causing now and then hiccups like 50% or 100% cpu usage where poor and slow Avira support comes into play .. there "official" and very undermanned support forum is a joke in every possible way, incompetence seems to be the motto) .. I wondered later about all those discounts every other week I stumbled upon and if they have money problems too .. had a bad feeling about all this but prolonged for myself and my relatives (even the suite and 2 years) using the discount .. and now on top that ASK-Toolbar and Uniblue disaster (very poor decision of management!) .. and then recently of course that short but very disappointed statement of a certain Avira employee (?) here on wilders (thanks for that, hope he didn't have to suffer for that remark!) ..

=> It really doesn't feel good right now for me as a Avira customer, but we have to see in a few months how good or bad v12 will be! - Hope dies last.

 

The difference is it is their own and not a third party scareware product.

 

It already is a problem. Many security and download sites are already either changing their description or flat out not recommending Avira anymore. This has already proved to be a very bad PR move for Avira. Not to mention sites like this that are debating the issue. How many people will read all this and go to Avast or something else instead. I hope Avira reconsiders because it is a good product. They don't need all this.

 

Posted over in dslreports.

"Avira just moved into new headquarters in April that cost them $25 million. The third wing is not finished and will cost an additional $13 million."

I am wondering if maybe they are having cash-flow issues.

 

If you have cash problems you have to try and optimize existing office and equipment, you don't go and buy new office for 38 million dollars...