Comments on: Cool: Lavasoft blog cleaned … (update #1) http://blog.assarbad.net/20061027/ls_en-5/ Programming, reverse engineering and anything else as well ... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:38:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Oliver http://blog.assarbad.net/20061027/ls_en-5/#comment-74 Oliver Wed, 01 Nov 2006 01:23:29 +0000 http://blog.assarbad.net/20061027/ls_en-5/#comment-74 Another update can be found <a href="/20061101/ls_en-6/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">here</a> - along with the missing content. // Oliver Another update can be found here - along with the missing content.

// Oliver

]]> By: SeenItAllBefore http://blog.assarbad.net/20061027/ls_en-5/#comment-68 SeenItAllBefore Fri, 27 Oct 2006 12:31:02 +0000 http://blog.assarbad.net/20061027/ls_en-5/#comment-68 It seems that you have not SeenItAllBefore as most others in the industry. Lavasoft has long been known for such tactics. Stories have filtered through the industry for years about the management of that company. Unlike the game where someone whispers something to the person next to them, who in turn repeats the statement to the next person and so on down the row, resulting in nothing like what started, the stories about Lavasoft do not change. Don't like what someone says? Delete it. Instead of responding to (or even ignoring) criticism, delete it. At least occasional comments last. There is this one that didn't disappear http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?showtopic=3938 and another here http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=4342&view=findpost&p=20675 Interesting comments by the writer Normandie: <blockquote>Thank you for your encouraging words, but my problem is a trust problem. Like the little boy that cried wolf, with so many false postives, when will we know whether it is real or false positive. If we leave it we can do damage to our computer and if we delete it then we risk problems because it was a FP, just like there are always the people who trust programs "totally" and delete the finds, empty the quarantine and then are stuck. There is an example in this thread a few posts up. Until the last several months this has not been my experience with Adaware, now I am beginning to be a little gun shy.</blockquote> Trust in that company was lost long ago. Now the loss of trust has spread to people like Normandie, the people who will use free monitors like Defender and dump AdWatch. Trust when definitions for Look2Me are to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\? Fix that false positive and then erroneously target FileAlyzer? This last one of misidentifying Windows Media Player 7 or greater really takes the cake: <blockquote>TAC index:10 Comment: Description:Errorsafe, similar in nature to Winfixer and Winantispyware, claims to be a genuine error fixing program. It is similar in appearance and function to Winfixer and furthermore, comes from the same IP address; this software has been reported to be force installed and/or use aggressive and misleading advertising to persuade the user into installing it.</blockquote> We are supposed to trust their Eco tools for neutralizing Look2Me and Virtumonde when CLSIDs for valid programs are repeatedly targeted? Not even a quarantine to restore. No way. I guess SOME things do change. It appears they have a new script writer. The person who wrote this crap SHOULD be committed: <blockquote>We are committed. We are loyal to you. And we’re making changes that will create an engaged global network of dedicated security watchdogs like yourself. Bear with us and be assured that you’ll be glad you did.</blockquote> Loyal to us? Lavasoft management does not have a loyal bone in their collective bodies unless it is to the almighty $$$. Create a global network of dedicated security watchdogs? It is time they took the rose-colored glasses off and realized there already is such a global network but it does not want anything to do with Lavasoft. It does sound as though they are really getting desperate to the extent that they have to resort to begging. Unless this too is deleted, the whole load of nonsense is currently at http://www.lavasoft.com/company/blog/ (as you said, with no links or trackback). Where is that Googlebot? LOL <blockquote>We are Committed! [October 26th, 2006] We are committed. We are loyal to you. And we’re making changes that will create an engaged global network of dedicated security watchdogs like yourself. Bear with us and be assured that you’ll be glad you did. There have been some problems with our definition file updates lately. No, we’re not too proud to admit that. In fact, we are addressing it head-on, and we’re speaking to you directly through the forums, through e-mails, through this blog, and anywhere else that we think you might be listening. The Lavasoft Security Center (previously Lavasoft Research Center) has a strategy in place that is going to provide a stronger network for individuals that wish to truly engage in the fight against malware. One of the methods of achieving their goals requires new processes to be established and services upgraded. As a result of the short-term changes that will develop into long-term benefits, there have been a few issues with the definition file updates, including false positives. We know that is not acceptable for you, and you need to know that it is not acceptable for us, either. Completion of the processes currently being implemented is expected next week and is just one of the ways that we are directly addressing false positives. Some of you have experienced incorrect dates on your definition file updates. Again, we’ve addressed this in our current system, and we expect that the new processes in place next week ensure that this does not happen again in the future. Have you had problems getting to the definition file updates? There are a few places that you can download the latest Ad-Aware definition file updates in addition to our own website, especially if you are trying to download at the same time that our 200 million users around the globe are trying to download. Try one of our mirror sites, like our long-standing partners at MajorGeeks.com. They are an official Lavasoft mirror site for Ad-Aware SE Personal free downloads as well as the definition file updates. Changes can be tough. But any inconveniences that you may be experiencing today are short-term, and while we don’t like these issues that have arisen, we know that there are going to be long-term benefits for everyone. We are committed, and we are loyal to you. Bear with us and be assured that you’ll be glad you did!</blockquote> It seems that you have not SeenItAllBefore as most others in the industry. Lavasoft has long been known for such tactics. Stories have filtered through the industry for years about the management of that company. Unlike the game where someone whispers something to the person next to them, who in turn repeats the statement to the next person and so on down the row, resulting in nothing like what started, the stories about Lavasoft do not change.

Don’t like what someone says? Delete it. Instead of responding to (or even ignoring) criticism, delete it. At least occasional comments last. There is this one that didn’t disappear http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?showtopic=3938 and another here http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=4342&view=findpost&p=20675

Interesting comments by the writer Normandie:

Thank you for your encouraging words, but my problem is a trust problem. Like the little boy that cried wolf, with so many false postives, when will we know whether it is real or false positive. If we leave it we can do damage to our computer and if we delete it then we risk problems because it was a FP, just like there are always the people who trust programs “totally” and delete the finds, empty the quarantine and then are stuck. There is an example in this thread a few posts up. Until the last several months this has not been my experience with Adaware, now I am beginning to be a little gun shy.

Trust in that company was lost long ago. Now the loss of trust has spread to people like Normandie, the people who will use free monitors like Defender and dump AdWatch. Trust when definitions for Look2Me are to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\? Fix that false positive and then erroneously target FileAlyzer? This last one of misidentifying Windows Media Player 7 or greater really takes the cake:

TAC index:10
Comment:
Description:Errorsafe, similar in nature to Winfixer and Winantispyware, claims to be a genuine error fixing program. It is similar in appearance and function to Winfixer and furthermore, comes from the same IP address; this software has been reported to be force installed and/or use aggressive and misleading advertising to persuade the user into installing it.

We are supposed to trust their Eco tools for neutralizing Look2Me and Virtumonde when CLSIDs for valid programs are repeatedly targeted? Not even a quarantine to restore. No way.

I guess SOME things do change. It appears they have a new script writer. The person who wrote this crap SHOULD be committed:

We are committed. We are loyal to you. And we’re making changes that will create an engaged global network of dedicated security watchdogs like yourself. Bear with us and be assured that you’ll be glad you did.

Loyal to us? Lavasoft management does not have a loyal bone in their collective bodies unless it is to the almighty $$$.

Create a global network of dedicated security watchdogs? It is time they took the rose-colored glasses off and realized there already is such a global network but it does not want anything to do with Lavasoft.

It does sound as though they are really getting desperate to the extent that they have to resort to begging.

Unless this too is deleted, the whole load of nonsense is currently at http://www.lavasoft.com/company/blog/ (as you said, with no links or trackback). Where is that Googlebot? LOL

We are Committed!

[October 26th, 2006]

We are committed. We are loyal to you. And we’re making changes that will create an engaged global network of dedicated security watchdogs like yourself. Bear with us and be assured that you’ll be glad you did.

There have been some problems with our definition file updates lately. No, we’re not too proud to admit that. In fact, we are addressing it head-on, and we’re speaking to you directly through the forums, through e-mails, through this blog, and anywhere else that we think you might be listening.

The Lavasoft Security Center (previously Lavasoft Research Center) has a strategy in place that is going to provide a stronger network for individuals that wish to truly engage in the fight against malware. One of the methods of achieving their goals requires new processes to be established and services upgraded. As a result of the short-term changes that will develop into long-term benefits, there have been a few issues with the definition file updates, including false positives. We know that is not acceptable for you, and you need to know that it is not acceptable for us, either. Completion of the processes currently being implemented is expected next week and is just one of the ways that we are directly addressing false positives.

Some of you have experienced incorrect dates on your definition file updates. Again, we’ve addressed this in our current system, and we expect that the new processes in place next week ensure that this does not happen again in the future.

Have you had problems getting to the definition file updates? There are a few places that you can download the latest Ad-Aware definition file updates in addition to our own website, especially if you are trying to download at the same time that our 200 million users around the globe are trying to download. Try one of our mirror sites, like our long-standing partners at MajorGeeks.com. They are an official Lavasoft mirror site for Ad-Aware SE Personal free downloads as well as the definition file updates.

Changes can be tough. But any inconveniences that you may be experiencing today are short-term, and while we don’t like these issues that have arisen, we know that there are going to be long-term benefits for everyone. We are committed, and we are loyal to you. Bear with us and be assured that you’ll be glad you did!

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