February 27, 2008
Posted by Seth Rosenblatt CNET

Users need to be forewarned that AVG has seen fit to add, by default, the YaHoo! toolbar.

Mind you, this is on the pay for version no less.

Threads on this issue at COU

I'll echo what Mystery said, that vendors need to pay more attention to what BillP, of WinPatrol did.

Check out the comments there, they tell the whole story.

Holy Ridiculous-Over-PI-Mods Batman!!

Those mods over at the DSLR thread modded a reply of mine to one 'TK Junk Mail'.

All I did was reference the fact that AVG was more concerned with $$$ than anything else, or to that affect.

Hi
I had a little play with the trial of the latest AVG. It's not too bad, but not configurable enough for me. There are definately some nice new features there. I think the toolbar in the new AVG is part of it's "LinkScanner" protection. It just happens to be bundled with Yahoo. It does mean that that search-bar is "protected" though. Would be nice if they actually said in the install that it was in partnership with Yahoo!

Hi mjq424 and

If the toolbar is part of LinkScanner, then it wouldn't be so bad, do you have any screen shots of it?

I tried to install the trial but it asked me for license # and I couldn't find it.

I'll have to give it another run Friday.

Hi
I'll have a look at that later today.

Well if they have it as part of the LinkScanner, that's not as bad. At least the LS bar offers something, but really, wtf is the point to add it with YaHoo! tb?

Waste of space.

Getting to my DSLR censorship, here is the bullshit reason they give for moderating the first one and then deleting the latest one:

I apologise in advance to all dial-up users.

Here's some pretty pics from the new AVG related to the LinkScanner/Yahoo Toolbar:

Thanks for those mjq424, greatly appreciated.

As I stated previously, LS protection I can not say is a bad idea, as a matter of fact I recommend it to my users after finishing up as an option along with SiteAdvisor.

However, the YaHoo! part of it just isn't worth it, IMHO and was done solely to get more $$$ by sticking it in there, even if you can turn off YaHoo! search as your default search engine.

Looking at the screenies, I'm not sure if you elected to use it or not, cuz the YaHoo! logo appears there as well as the search box.

Can you elaborate some more please?

Hi
That was the default install of AVG. As you could see in the first screenshot there was a tick inth box for the toolbar. The Yahoo bit is integrated with AVG, couldn't get rid of it. For IE there are 2 seperate BHO's (not sure what they are now as I uninstalled AVG because it drags my system!). In Firefox also, there are 2 seperate Toolbars. I think there is a "protected" search box (i.e. the Yahoo search) and the LinkScanner protected surfing.
Hope that helps

Wow, that's really bad, so no matter what you get the YaHoo! nonsense.

I don't see how people can sit still for that. And in the DSLR thread several have complained about slowness and even the AVG guy said he'd rather had waited til a few more builds.

Edit to add: Thanks, that helps alot!!

This may explain why CNet/Downloads.com has stopped giving WinPatrol any attention. I had Emailed them specifically about allowing programs which included toolbars. I won't go into specifics but since that time WinPatrol has been snubbed and changes to the last new version were ignored.



Bill

Well that sucks! I assume it's because of added revenue from advertising?

C|NET Downloads have previously come under a fair amount of scrutiny for allowing alot of 'astroturfing'. So it would seem they are not quite on the up and up.

The fact they ignore your emails is suspect at the very least.

One would think that being all the positive publicity you received with the ask-but-don't-ask.com toolbar situation that you could have been a hot download. If they looked past their wallets to the extra traffic they could have received and thus getting more users exposed to ads they run they may have seen some more hits on those ads.

But hey, what do I know. I'm just a poor schlep with too much concern for my end users and how I'd not ever treat them like that. Not to mention the fact that they don't even make me any money as in AVGs case.

You have to wonder who is really running things, the bean counters or the people who make the apps.

My next question is....how long do I wait before I ditch the AVG affiliate links off the site??

Well, fact is with the exception of some of the active forum security volunteers like yourself WinPatrol and BillP Studios is not known. It's actually good to know I still have a big market out there but if you typed in AVG and WinPatrol into Google Trends I wouldn't even get a bump in the graph.

The bottom line is there is A LOT of money to be made with these toolbars. When I say I could have retired comfortably I wasn't exaggerating. And believe me, my comfort is very expensive.

Bill

I'd recommend WP over the same thing with a TB any day of the week dude (even if the alternate was also free* and had a few extra's or whatever). I detest toolbars (tis the reason I've refused to update Irfanview on the freeware library, and refuse to use anything newer than 3.91).

Problem is however as yourself and Tom point out - cash, seems it's all people care about now

* I know WP also has a paid version, but I'd still recommend it over any free alternative if the alternative had a bundled TB (or bundled anything for that matter)

Yet another footprint of the money giants. Unfortunately all "as Steve said" anyone cares about is $$$. Years back I found how AVG was and never used them, didn't like the forum either. ZA was no different and both seem to not like straight out opinions of their crapware. Censorship in their forums and bending over for the big guys, this makes for a quite non trust able software in my opinion.

As much as I had some issues at Comodo as a moderator, at least I can say they take the hits and listen to what people want. My softwares are basically, Sunbelt Kerio firewall, Avira anti-vir, "which has a pop up after updating for the free version but doesn't really intrude and can be shut right down" and is an excellent anti-vir. I will be purchasing it soon.
Of course I have all hosts stuff, malwarebytes mbam, HAD free license for Winpatrol that I won from hpHosts competition, however, my old ISP went down the day or two after and I lost the email, erased from the stinking server. No more DSL for me. Will likely purchase that soon as well.

My point, there are many good softwares out there and I will always support sites\software such as Temerc, Steve's, Marcin's , Bill P, SC, etc...

AVG and the likes can kiss my ass. They will never get support from the likes of me. I fix and have fixed many computers, guess what I do or don't tell people to use

Paul

Send Bill an email, I'm certain he'lll be able to help you out one way or another.

Thanks. Yeah, I could but to be honest, I am going to purchase it for a couple of reasons, one being it's worth it, two, I would rather support someone who told the big guys to shove it than pay someone like AVG . That alone is worth the $ to me

Cheers,

Paul

Just seen this on the Sunbeltblog:

LINKY

Ya, I saw that too and commented. And I'm wondering if BillP didn't get it from my Twitter page. I posted this link in there the same time I posted this and he's one of my 'followers'.

Yes, I did see it from you on Twitter page, but my first notification award goes to Jean.


Bill

Wanna bet where she got it from??

Yea, but I heard you were a trouble making and was even getting your posts deleted from DSLReports.com.


Bill

Hi folks,

the subject of this thread is very interesting, and the subsequent discussion too.
Maybe it is possible we take unanimously consequences against shabbyware vendors?

Smokey! Thanks for dropping in and offering your opinion.

I think it's high time people started to make more of this in a 'global' manner, meaning sites all over the Net.

They now have a sticky over at COU to list products that have 'extras' in their installs. I think the page will be called 'Installers Hall Of Shame', but we're still discussing it in the 'Team room' there. The discussion that got the ball rolling is here. Credit for the obvious but maybe not so, to weaslethatbites.

I think that thread will wind up being one long ass list of vendors who have extras with their products as people will be looking more closely at those.

As a direct mirror of that COU thread, I'm going to have a thread here too, prolly call it something like 'Bundling Blunders', 'Bone Headed Bundler's' or 'Vendors Bundling Blues'...I don't know yet.

I'll have to give it some more thought and figure it out.

We only will be able to combat the $$$ creeps when we all join an art of anti-shabbyware coalition.
I wrote today on ASAP a post about it too: Edited by admin, private forum link removed
Feel free to give your opinion there too, it will be appreciated by the other members because i have the strong impression they are waiting on the arrival and wise words of Mr TeMerc himself