SuperAntiSpyware: One minor annoyance

Discussion in 'other anti-malware software' started by ejr, Mar 22, 2007.

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  1. steve161

    steve161 Registered Member

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    I took it seriously. To hell with this free crap, give me a 30 day trial.
     
  2. SUPERAntiSpy

    SUPERAntiSpy Developer

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    Our SUPERAntiSpyware Professional does have a 15-day fully functional trial period.
     
  3. ejr

    ejr Registered Member

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    No, that's not it at all. I think the people that are saying that it should be a for pay only software are being sarcastic just to stress their point.

    But your marketing plan is clear, attract people with a free product and hope that this will encourage them to buy the full version. It's a great business model. If you feel that you need to change that business model, that's your right. But please don't confuse the fact that there is a GREAT free version of your software with the fact that it uses a useless, inneffective, annoying splash screen. These are 2 completely separate issues.

    Ultimately, it's your product and it is a great product. So do with it what you wish. I was merely providing consumer feedback as to how to make it even better.
     
  4. Get

    Get Guest

    It's not a trade. You don't get anything out of it nor does the user. Users won't because of the splash screen buy the full product and the annoyance of some will possibly make some of them look elsewhere for a paid anti-spyware, so per balance nobody wins (unless other products are better of course, but who are we kidding here :)). What I would do : loose the screen, because it's contraproductive and a good product doesn't need one.
     
  5. Rainwalker

    Rainwalker Registered Member

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    I, for one, agree completely...
     
  6. Jaws

    Jaws Registered Member

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    Bingo... we have a winner. Sorry about that Nick, but the post was 100% sarcasm.

    IMO, this statement is one where the OP makes his mistake, for the splash screen and free are so intertwined. If someone thinks the product is so great, pay for it and you won't get the nag screen. If you want it free, pay for it by getting the nag screen, simple.

    Did you ever think that it's useless and inneffective to you, but maybe not to someone else. It's one thing to give consumer feedback on a product but to take away the only incentive to get people to actually purchase a product is ridiculous.

    LOL, Benny.

    I love free stuff, who doesn't, but without continued support and a good business model it's sometimes hard to keep a good product free or even stay in business. I don't mind paying for good products at a reasonable price but the Internet and all the free stuff seems to have spoiled people.

    In the end, there are some who always take but never give. I tend to look for free stuff first. If I find a program that does what I want, it's worth it to me to pay and I've done this with shareware (always pay) and I've been known to make donations to individuals with freeware programs, go figure.
     
  7. Perman

    Perman Registered Member

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    Hi, folks: From marketing point of view, effective advertisement is a key factor for business's success. Splash screen is not exception here. it is not a spam, not a phishing , is perfectly legal within vendor's right to do so. Of course, unless majority of freeware users told Nick otherwise. Showing a splash screen has the same effect as someone showing you his ID when visiting you, just to annouce his arrival and presence. Do you rather to have someone w/ unknown ID to visit you? As I mentioned earlier, SAS free users are been given too much, and some of them now are demanding a PERFECT free gift from Nick. Do'nt you think you have asked a bit too much? IMO, we, as freeware users should be very grateful having this top-rated free-thing available to us, not mentioning to alleviate our daily malware fears. Just let Nick alone, so that he can devote more useful time in some useful areas. Just my loonie sense.
     
  8. Get

    Get Guest

    Splash screens aren't effective advertisement. That's the whole point.

    Wrong again. It has the same effect as someone who is invited by me keeps showing me his ID every time I ask him something before he answers me.


    He's not unknown. I invited him fully aware of who I invited.
     
  9. FastGame

    FastGame Registered Member

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    Nick@SUPERAntiSpy, here's my suggestion. You need to develop 'nit-picker' detection, when SAS detects a nit-picker the splash screen could change into a 5 min. flash video or something like that ;)

    SAS is a great product, splash screen & all :cool:
     
  10. Get

    Get Guest

    Seeing the posts of some people here gives me the idea that not dropping the splashscreen, but making it optional is a better way to go. Some apparently love it.:rolleyes:
     
  11. SUPERAntiSpy

    SUPERAntiSpy Developer

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    You are incorrect here, in my opinion, and based upon the reatility of the stats I see regarding downloads and purchases - we actually do get lots of brand recognition and referrals with the splash screen. The group here may not have others that see their computers, but the hundreds of thousands of installs in public schools, libraries, Internet Cafe's, etc, etc. etc. do have thousands of users that see the splash screen and come to our site and download the software.

    If memory serves me correct, ZoneAlarm, McAfee, and others major players have splash screens that you can't turn off even in their paid products......
     
  12. SUPERAntiSpy

    SUPERAntiSpy Developer

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    Useless, ineffective, and annoying to you - it actually works wonders to brand our product, name and have people directed towards our product on Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. searches when looking for an anti-spyware product.

    Even these "discussions" work wonders to help our product awareness, so I am always happy to answer, discuss and debate any product issues, questions, etc. :)
     
  13. BrainWarp

    BrainWarp Registered Member

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    Can't make everyone happy--complaining over a short nag screen on a product offered free---come on now.
     
  14. Perman

    Perman Registered Member

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    Hi, folks: This is exactly the kind of effective advertisement I refered earlier. If you are doing right, there is no point to revese it. Using it effectively and efficiently are the key points. SAS free= top rated freething + splash screen
     
  15. SUPERAntiSpy

    SUPERAntiSpy Developer

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    Excellent point. I am not sure if people respect, or understand, the amount of work that goes into creating a product such as SUPERAntiSpyware - I myself have been developing software for over 25 years, and the members of my team have been creating software for nearly as long - we have thousands upon thousands of hours into creating the software, let alone creating new definitions for spyware every day, 365/days a year. It takes dedication, let alone money, to pay for servers and staff - no where else in the world can you get anything for free like you can in the software world.
     
  16. EASTER.2010

    EASTER.2010 Guest

    Exactly!! May i encourage at some point and not just because of this topic, that SAS even enhance the splash screen even more. Is flash (adobe) out the question here? (still pushing for special effects)(and why not, it's already a World Class bot detector/destroyer to coin a good phrase)
     
  17. dcdc

    dcdc Registered Member

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    Spy Sweeper in the paid version by default initially loads a splash screen, but provides the option of disabling it. I am also fairly certain that it maintains the setting in any program upgrades that occur.

    No doubt there are countless other antimalware applications that skip the splash screen altogether and put you directly into the app, as I think is appropriate, including NIS, Spyware Doctor, AVG AS, Windows Defender, Ad-Aware, and a-squared.
     
  18. Jaws

    Jaws Registered Member

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    Yep, "splash screen discussions" worked on me. Downloaded the software yesterday.
     
  19. Get

    Get Guest

    Hm, I had no idea it made such a big difference in brand recognition, but when it does you must be crazy to drop it. I would however make it optional, because free or not it is somewhat intrusive, but that's just me and i'm not the "one in charge ".:)
     
  20. ejr

    ejr Registered Member

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    Nick...Can you please explain to me how the splashscreen has helped to brand the product? I downloaded it and used before I ever knew there was a splashscreen. My bet is that so did everyone else (how can you know that a product has a splashscreen until you use it)?

    I don't understand.

    I can see the prosduct name on the desktop shortcut. I also see the product name on the man screen when you open the product. How is the splashscreen increasing the brand recognition?
     
  21. SUPERAntiSpy

    SUPERAntiSpy Developer

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    Users see the splash screen when computers in another user's home, libraries, schools, etc. start up and/or someone runs SUPERAntiSpyware - often times when computer techs are using our software to clean up systems, users have no idea what they are running, and the techs will often clean the system and uninstall our software - as the user watches, they see the splash screen "SUPERAntiSpyware" and the colors, logo, etc. - they may not have a chance to "look at the shortcut" or "look in the system tray" - and many users don't even know what software they are running - we see this all the time in customer service -they know they have SUPERAntiSpyware because the splash screen tells them that - most of the users here on the forums are more tech savy than 99% of our users/customers/computer users in general - thus, the sampling of the opinion / data set on a poll for the splash screen would be heavily skewed towards technical/semi-technical users that are participating and/or viewing the forums - where as the vast majority of users who are infected with spyware are not, and should not have to be, technical users and may never see forums, etc.

    There is much more to creating a successful brand in the industry than simply the effectivness of the software, etc. We back up our brand with a successful software package of course, but product recognition and branding are also key elements in the success of any product, software or otherwise.
     
  22. dcdc

    dcdc Registered Member

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    I have used several university and public library computers in recent years, and I have yet to see any security software of any kind visible on these enterprise type computer systems. They all run unseen in the background.

    System administrators don't want random users messing with these applications, and I would expect don't even want them to know what's running in the background in terms of any system utilities. I was curious and asked the system administrator at my alma mater what AS and AV apps were running, and he politely declined to tell me. I couldn't blame him. Why provide information that might be valuable to hackers or just random techies who want to experiment with the system?

    Sorry, but I have my doubts about the effectiveness of splash screens as a sales tool. Come on now.
     
  23. coolbluewater

    coolbluewater Registered Member

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    Well said :thumb:
    For anyone to complain about a splash screen on such an excellent free app as SAS needs to get out of the chair more often.
     
  24. SUPERAntiSpy

    SUPERAntiSpy Developer

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    You have your doubts, etc. and I respect that - in this case, however, you are not backing up your "opinions" with any facts - I have explained, in several posts now, that the branding via the splash screen (and other items) has directly increased our product awareness, just like these threads do - again, as a technical user, it may not matter, nor have any effect on you (or others) - 99% of our users and the people infected with spyware/malware, etc. are not technical users.

    The splash screen is going to stay as it is effective in our branding of our product and name, and if seeing the splash screen for a mere 3 or 4 seconds and you can click it to make it go away when the product starts is unacceptable for a 100% free product that works against many infections the paid products fail against, then I guess the product is not for you - there is not much else I can say at this point.

    If you feel the product is effective, then help support our company and the continued development of the product by purhcasing the product and then you can have full control of the splash screen, real-time scanning, scheduled scanning, priority updates and support and the other benefits that go along with purchasing a license. :)
     
  25. BrainWarp

    BrainWarp Registered Member

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    You guys sure are making Mr.SuperAntiSpyware work hard here for FREE.
     
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