Comodo removed from Softpedia

I already did in my first post on this thread.

SourMilk out

 

The topic is not about performance but Softpedia's decision to remove CIS from their downloads. I agree with that decision based on my own discovery as stated in my first post on this thread.

SourMilk out

 

For Ask.com toolbar to be installed, for what I know, it is needed to install SafeSurf, otherwise none will be installed. Only a temp file stays behind, which some anti-malware tools also pick up.

 

Congratulations for defeating that adware. I guess my setup is not as powerful as yours is. Keep up the good work.

SourMilk out

 

Please, note that for what I know that's what I believe it happens. I didn't study CIS. But, I just may, and also warn friends if what some users mention happens.

P.S: I do happen to have their RC. I'll check it. I'll say something later... or when I got the will.

 

Which begs the question:
Will Comodo also threaten legal action against the likes of the "Calendar of Update Installers Hall of Shame"? http://www.calendarofupdates.com/updates/calendar44514

 

I want to say that starting from CIS Comodo also started to use the dirty marketing tricks (like promising much more than they really can do, like biased anti-XXX selfmade tests and testing projects, like biased comparative tests etc, like throughing mud to the competitors and everybody who do not admire their producs), and here they started to downgrade as a trusted security vendor. If they do not reliase their buisness approach is wrong they will end as one of the less trusted security vendors.

 

They, by default, want to install the generally undesired Yahoo Toolbar, Winamp Toolbar, Yahoo Search bar.
I don't think the above can be defined as "spyware".
Yes, you easily can opt out if you are knowledgable/aware.

 

i think some of the ppl reply to this thread never use CIS on this life time , i suggest this ppl to go install it , play with it little bit , browse comodo forum , and than make any comment about any adware cis uses

BYE

 

May be they just didn't have enough time yet to review it ?

 

But this topic was never about the quality (or otherwise) of CIS?

Why does this keep happening? Is it really that hard to understand what the issue actually is?


One more time then, the default installation of CIS will
a) change your homepage
b) change your default search provider
c) install ask toolbar

which are all things that violate Softpedias' policy on what they are willing to call adware free software.

 

The topic has been closed and the dissenters silenced! I see it's now Softpedia removed from Comodo. Looked at couple of threads from Comodo users on the Comodo website, mostly critical of Comodo, and now both have been closed as no longer useful. Seems like opinions of their own people would be useful. Guess not if they disagree with policy, same as they did last year. Melih has spoken.

 

Anyone want a good laugh? Upload the ask toolbar to VirusTotal.

My problem with Comodo is they advertise "Free (means Free) Products". Maybe someone should look up the definition of free. To me free is something that comes with no strings attached. Now they are including a toolbar and selling a service to go with their suite.

In the past I did use Comodo's firewall and always thought that they were making the security programs to spread the word about their security certificates. Boy was I wrong and Melih never hinted about making money off the security programs. It would have been nice if they were honest about their plans or just sell licenses to the products like everyone else. Have no illusions, they are in it for the money but are flanking their users to get in their wallets.

That's just my humble opinion .

 

It is not just another way, it,s just a BAD WAY of doing this.

Make CFP, CIS etc paid( without Ask.com stuff) and that is one of the right ways of making revenue.

 

I really think the ask.com should be opt-in, and personally I also have questions about the company's approach and the way their software seems buggier now. Just my opinion. I switched to Outpost Free.

 

Just mho, boils down to one issue:
ASK yourself; "Do I really want Ask.com Toolbar on my computer"

As to CCleaner on CoU: specifically mentioned is the toolbar free version.
Anyone here use the Toolbar version ?

Does AskEraser Really Erase
http://epic.org/privacy/ask/default.html

Read the AskKids TOS docs.

=8/20 positive for malware.
Jotti's 2/21

 

Longboard,

Did you happen to look at which security program at VirusTotal detected the Ask toolbar as an "Unclassified Malware" . I'm sure it will be "fixed" eventually .

Edit: For clarity and others that won't bother uploading the file to VT. Comodo was one that detected the Ask toolbar as "Unclassified Malware".

 

Hi ssj100. I also respect your opinion.

I understand your getting a "free" program but most folks like my family members would install it and never think twice about unticking anything. I'm sure you know people that have so much junk on their machines that it slows them to a crawl. And why would anyone installing a security program even need to worry about anything else being installed in the process. Shouldn't we trust our security programs?

A toolbar is not and should not be necessary for a security program to function or even included as an option. If they think their customers would benefit from the Ask toolbar, why wouldn't Comodo just offer it as a download on their site? I can tell you why. It's because they can make a heck of a lot more money by offering it as an opt out in their softwares.

I know Comodo is a business and in it to make money. What I have a problem with is the "Free (means Free) Products" that's on their homepage. I guess I have a different definition of free. I also don't like mixing security software with toolbars or anything else that isn't security related.

 

It says version 1138 and last update of 04.27.2009. I also saved the linky to the results because it's priceless .

I'm off to bed for now.

 

But it's necessary for NOD32 to go through and add a 5-line stamp to the bottom of 10,000 emails in an unsuspecting BUYER's inbox? That's a 100 times more invasive than having a damn Ask toolbar installed. And the toolbar can be easily removed. NONE of the stamps can. And the warning for the toolbar is given upfront in the installation process. NO warning is is given for the stamps, unless you read through the NOD32 manual first. NOD32's actions are so much more intrusive than what *might* happen with the Comodo Firewall that there's no comparison whatever.

As for "average users" installing Comodo being too computer-illiterate to opt out of the big mean Ask toolbar, if they're that naive then believe me, they're going to get hit with something FAR worse than that at some point (leaving NOD out for the moment). People can be duped by contracts, telephone scam artists, business shysters, politicians, you name it. Let'ss even leave terrorists and the swine flu out of it for a moment. And people are getting so worked up over a removable toolbar on a FREE FREE FREE decent-quality program. Give me a friggin break! If an unwanted removable Ask toolbar is the worst thing that happened to anyone, they are living a charmed life indeed. It blows my mind that soi many people posting here can get so worked up over something like that. What kind of fantasy world are you living in? It's not as if it's going to destroy your documents or steal your credit card numbers.

How about when you buy a program on, say, digitalriver, and the backup CD that you don't need is pre-ticked? That's much worse than the Ask thing, but even THAT an average person encounters every day and should be responsible for looking over before proceeding. Or how about, "for your convenience your subscription will automatically be renewed and charged monthly until you cancel." Why isn't everyone getting so worked up over that? And those aren't even free products like Comodo's.

I know this is rambling, but I just ran across this thread and I'm almost incredulous at how very negative more than half the reaction is toward Comodo. And I'm saying nothing about Sofpedia here -- if they want to remove Comodo for ANY REASON WHATSOEVER, they should be free to do so -- even if it's a dumb reason.

I do have to admit, everytime I download the new version of CCleaner from their site instead of Softpedia, and have to remember to untick the Yahoo toolbar, I have trouble sleeping that night thinking how close I came to disaster from nearly falling into the clutches of the BAD Ccleaner people instead of their angelic alter-egos that provide the no-possible-Yahoo-toolbar version of the download to Sofpedia.

For anyone who made it this far, sorry, no time to proof.

 

Email sent to MajorGeeks' folk, yesterday. We should see their point on all this "Comodo's affair" shortly. They use to stand firmly again this kind of cease and desist treatening in the past...

 

I don't think you understand Ask's history when it comes to their toolbars, otherwise I doubt you'd be so non-chalant about it. Further, IIRC, Nod32's "stamp" is merely text with a possible link to their website. I wouldn't call that so much "intrusive". Whereas, with a toolbar, there is a very real chance your search terms among other information is not only sent back to Ask and collected, but sent off elsewhere to the highest bidder.

There's a huge difference between something highly annoying, which I imagine a big long line of text at the bottom of your email can be, and a real threat, which is what a toolbar can be if private data is shipped around to whoever wants to pay for it. I ride the fence when it comes to matters like this, yes, it's not a HUGE deal if you can opt out of the install and it's known NOT to collect private information and send it to whoever wants it. However, I also see the point of those that are against toolbars, they CAN be intrusive and in some cases dangerous.

Whether they belong in a security app or not, well, for the same reasons, I'm on the fence. The one thing I can say if that I feel that ASk won't ever stop paying for their past practices as far as public relations go. Whether that's right or wrong is opinion, but I don't believe they'll ever be trusted by those that remember their past ever again.

 

All I want to say they got their stars and "spyware free" label before they started to use adware to make additional income. Knowing that cnet is very slow on any action except taking money (this is from my personal experience, it sometimes takes the weeks just to change a text your product was uploaded there for the first time) it is not difficult to realize they do not manually do all the work, updates are automated, just checked against some AV database. As for the editors "stars" I do not regard them more valid than the users' rating, editors are just the people, they are not the GODs in any way. BTW, spyware-free doesn't mean adware-free for me. As for what ask toolbar is, spyware or adware, this is open question. Actually it grabs info about your searches and browsing and adds to your serach results money driven hits instead of a plain true search result. Everybody is free to make conclusions. BTW, Avira that has the five starts from cnet editors treats ask tollbar as a spyware. Also "Spyware researcher Ben Edelman has documented several issues with toolbars distributed by IAC Search and Media's FunWebProducts that lead him to criticize how those toolbars function. Although Edelman noted he has been asked multiple times not to refer to the software as Ask Toolbars, he rejected those requests for multiple reasons." Ask technology is very questionable for security researches (I do not think cnet editors are security researches, BTW) That is to say Superantispyware labels it spyware also to say nothing Comodo itself labeled it spyware some time ago, before they started to make money with it.

BTW, the very bad thing about Comodo and ask is the fact they installed it without asking users when ask toolbar was introduced in Comodo for the first time, and only due to the public opinion pressure they changed it to the option. This does mean they are able to do the things behind your back. For me this is a reason not to trust this vendor (especially when it comes to security, where trust is very important).

 

But you do. Advertising and protecting Comodo you do the job for them which costs money.

PS. (just kidding, take it easy, please)

 

I think you also bring up an important point, if well-known antispyware apps and AVs label it as spyware or adware, even though Ask supposedly no longer is as "evil" as it once was, then someone explain just how Comodo, itself well-known and generally well regarded, making money off of certificates, comes to the conclusion it needs to partner with such a business, whether it's opt-in or out.

I think we need to leave out the question of whether Ask is or isn't spyware/adware, and ask why Comodo decides to use THEM, instead of say, Google (yes I know, it's a thing of which evil do you pick). Are they NOT making enough money off certificates or their "professional" version of Comodo?