Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

Gas — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:08:47 GMT

It took Symantec more than a month but here is the official reply community.norton.com/.../message

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

Dave — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 06:35:37 GMT

Totally agree ! Symantec should not using anything from ASK

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

donna — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:56:06 GMT

Art, I hope that you received your refund already. It's sad that they have to do this just to earn extra $ because they are paid by Ask.com for each installation with ask.com (in a toolbar or as one of the search provider, default).

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

Art DeBrito — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:04:11 GMT

I recently made Symantec refund my money and left the following feedback to them:

You recently inserted an Ask.com safe search toolbar to my browser without my permission on three of my computers. According to the defacto definition of a virus, it is an unwanted item, without documentation, that is added to a computer, without permission. Although it was somewhat harmless, it was also an ad for Ask.com that was put on my browser without permission. All that from my virus protection company? Major blunder! Un-notified, and unaware of the source, I spent the next hour tracing it down. It was not in windows, and not in the browser. I checked the internet and ask.com has a bad reputation for unethical installation but nobody had an answer as to how to remove it in this case. I finally discovered it was my antivirus software that caused it. I called Symantec and the first two people that answered the phone denied it could be Symantec. (Bad customer service.) See case id 492009013. I finally reached the third person who admitted it was provided by an update, but that person could not provide me an avenue of complaint. (Also both Filipino agents could not speak the language well enough to fully understand the problem or solution. Forty minutes of cell time later, I spoke to an American who for the first time offered appology. This action is unacceptable. Please call me for explanation if you do not understand the ramifications of this problem. I will also be sharing my experience with the appropriate blogs.

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

... — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:16:01 GMT

Dies ist ein gro�er Ort. Ich m�chte hier noch einmal.

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

donna — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:06:18 GMT

Thanks for your input, Charlie. If they will go ahead with their plan (after the beta), they should at least make it as optional or add it in their existing add-on pack.

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

Charlie — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:28:21 GMT

I've been using Symantec/Norton products for so many years, I can't even remember. BUT if they are trying to forcefeed ANY 3rd party crap (safe or not), I will NOT renew when my current subscription expires.

This should be a choice and I should be ASKED first.

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

Amy Sheehan — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:19:16 GMT

From a very trusted source and friend at Symantec

<I>Thanks for the additional ammo. I've sent another e-mail to the product's managers questioning whether this is really a good decision.</i>

Will update again -

amy

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

donna — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:29:31 GMT

Hi Amy,

Thanks for writing them. I also wrote them thru a contact and let's hope that they will scrap the idea especially it is still in beta. They know that Norton users do not like the idea (it's in the Norton forums) of having Ask search service in a toolbar.

Again, thanks Amy and let us know what they'll say. I'll give a heads-up also if I receive a reply.

Regards,

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

Amy Sheehan — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:01:15 GMT

Donna, I just wanted to add that I have made Symantec aware of the comments here and across the web regarding this issue and currently am in the process of getting this issue put into the best hands for a serious reconsideration and recommendation that this be scrapped.

-amy-

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

donna — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:03:59 GMT

Right, Corrine. BOclean is supposed to detect it but after Comodo Group made the partnership with Ask, Boclean no longer detects.

We have this discussion last year at CoU but I believe it's one of the thread that is gone (unrecoverable database) :(

I took the screenshot and uploaded the text file of the said signatures but I'm not sure where is the thread now. Must one of those that is gone.

Thanks for posting here Corrine the detected items again. Even Symantec used to detect it and this thing made me really mad to security vendors who don't detect it AFTER the 'deal'. We don't mind if they don't detect IF it was done without any dealings. Also, how can ASK guys don't ask others to fix their detection if their product is really not to detect?

SO yes, you're right to that Corrine when you said they are hypocrites. I have high respect to Kevin and Nancy McAleaveys but I find Webroot, Zonelabs, Symantec, Stopzilla and Comodo as hypocrites. They once detect and now no more.

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

Corrine — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:39:07 GMT

Hi, Donna.

I've been checking the published list of detections by BOClean for some time and see that BOClean is still detecting ASKJeeves and MySearch.

Rather than straight-forward, it rather appears that Comodo folks are hypocrites -- on one hand including a known IAC "suspect" product and on the other detecting IAC products.

You can download the list of files detected by BOClean from www.comodo.com/.../trolist.html

Snippets copied from the Comodo BOClean Anti-Malware "Current Covered Malware" html file:

FILEDATE: 2009-02-11 12:57:37 (UTC)

CURRENT VERSION OF COMODO BOCLEAN IS 4.27

*UNIQUE* Malware detected and purged automatically by BOClean v4.27:

1651. ASKJEEVES

35546. MYSEARCH

35547. MYSEARCH2

35548. MYSEARCH3

35549. MYSEARCH4

35550. MYSEARCH5

35551. MYSEARCH6

35552. MYSEARCH7

35553. MYSEARCH8

49230. RSK-ASKJEEVES

49231. RSK-ASKJEEVES.B

49232. RSK-ASKJEEVES.B.001

49233. RSK-ASKJEEVES.SAA

50913. RSK-MYSEARCH

50914. RSK-MYSEARCH.A

50915. RSK-MYSEARCH.F

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

donna — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:58:42 GMT

I guess I'm too disappointed, Larry to see my favorite antivirus program gone this way :(

Sorry for the confusion but we've seen ZoneAlarm, Comodo, Webroot did this way too.

Imagine, free zonealarm users got the protection toolbar with Ask.com search service(?) but paid editions of zonealarm do not have what they advertise as additional protection?

At least Comodo guys are straight-forward, they tell their users that it's not needed but want "support" as the money will go to development. The only issue with them is their BOClean anti-malware suddenly stopped detecting Ask when the deal has been arranged.

ZA, Webroot and Symantec are bluffing users.

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

Larry Seltzer — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:40:54 GMT

OK, now I understand. It's just that when you begin your post:

"<i>Please we say no to Ask.com toolbar. I hope the questionable dll or toolbar by Ask is not there in your product.</i>"

it gives the impression that there's some reason to believe the Ask.com Toolbar is involved in the partnership.

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

donna — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:20:38 GMT

Yes, but online service by Ask is the one that everybody do not recommend due to their 'records' and seeing this partnership by security company to a suspect is not what their customers would like to see happen.

We're not even sure when the deal started since both service (Safe Service) and product (Safe web toolbar) are in beta. Too long already in beta - August 2008 and now suddenly, Safe Search is also in beta and going to be included in Norton products.

Objecting to anything to do with Ask.com by a security company, Larry.

We don't like to see the trusted program to partner with a suspect :(

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

Larry Seltzer — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:43:04 GMT

Right, it sounds like they are adding Ask search results to this mix, but no Ask software on the client. Is that what you are objecting to? I agree that Ask is a suspect company, but it's one thing to use their search results and another to run their software locally.

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

donna — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:02:07 GMT

Hi Larry,

No, it's not the Norton Toolbar that came with Norton 360, Norton Internet Security 2009 but another toolbar. Those do not offer search function and do not have the "rating" icon for search results.

They actually have the Norton Safe Web Plug-in BETA for Norton Internet Security 2009 (this is the toolbar) and it's available for download at safeweb.norton.com/.../download

Also user can enter a site to search if good or bad at https://safeweb.norton.com/ without having to install the Toolbar.

Edit to add: This means they can help protect already the user since Aug. 2008 using that Norton Safe Web without Ask but now they created Safe Search together with Ask (to be integrated with their Safe Web toolbar) so users search results is showing Ask search service only instead of the currently, any search service? Not nice IMHO. Why is it Safe to use Ask is what most users want to know :(

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

Larry Seltzer — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:38:00 GMT

Donna - I read the press release and it looks to me like it's not the Ask Toolbar, but the Norton Toolbar (which has been in Norton 360 from the begining) integrating with the Ask search service.

Did I read that wrong?

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

donna — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:50:20 GMT

Thanks for adding your voice once again, Corrine on this kind of issue. We want clean stuff but some trusted company can't satisfy their pocket :(

re: Not happy with this: Symantec partners with Ask.com

Corrine — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:27:47 GMT

Thank you for discovering this, Donna. I've added my voice to the blogosphere on this topic.