CyberDefender: Early Deceit
Steven Burn of Ur I.T. Mate Group (www.it-mate.co.uk) received license keys to test/try/review CyberDefender (http://cyberdefender.com/).
His reviewed on the product finally came online and it is published in one of his website (http://mysteryfcm.co.uk/?mode=Articles&date=17-04-2007) I encourage users to read the product review before continue reading my thoughts.. not on the review because I know and Steven knows how I feel that his review is a GREAT one.
Now, my thoughts is posted in Calendar of Updates forum at http://www.dozleng.com/updates/topic14007. I now have a problem with this Alan Wallace. Questioning a person's work and calling Steven as NOT a valid reviewer is IMHO should think again. Steven wrote some articles before and he is maybe NOT connected to any magazines, Alan Wallace has no right to say/ask who is valid reviewer (in that incident) He gave Steven license keys .. what did he expect Steven to do with the license key? To use the product and promote for him? Geez.
I, for one.. compared some products and even made some short reviews WITHOUT asking permission to some vendors but I'm happy to say that the vendors or software authors who later learned that their product is included in my published comparison are GOOD SOFTWARE COMPANIES. They understand the end-users review is likely to come in any method (via blog, via forums, via newsgroups, via mailing lists etc). Those software authors understand that once their product is out and available for download or a purchased was made by any person, there is 100% chance of getting feedback and be reviewed. It does not matter whether the person is a valid reviewer or not. The fact is:
1. End user knows best
2. There are screenshots to PROVE something and maybe LOGS are there to show
3. Even respected and well-known reviewers and researchers ENCOURAGE end-users or any users to REVIEW the product them selves which means ANYONE can have their own review on the product and decide which one to keep/use and which one to throw. Steven saved the butt and time of many users who will read his review on Cyberdefender. They know for sure whether the program is for keeps or not.