On 25 Dec 2006, "Echy" <echy2007@yahoo.com.au> wrote:
>On Dec 26, 4:18 pm, Borked Pseudo Mailed <nob...@pseudo.borked.net>
>wrote:
>> On 25 Dec 2006, "Echy" <echy2...@yahoo.com.au> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> >On Dec 26, 1:26 pm, Borked Pseudo Mailed <nob...@pseudo.borked.net>
>> >wrote:
>> >> On Mon, 25 Dec 2006, "W. Watson" <wolf_tra...@invalid.com> wrote:
>> >> >I'm told that AVG is quite a good virus protection program. I believe I'=
>> >ve
>> >> >seen a few other such programs that are free. Why make them free? Is it =
>> >that
>> >> >eventually they get into the market, and then able to charge for it? Any=
>> >way,
>> >> >I'm about to take AVG for a spin on one or two of my computers.
>>
>> >> >I really get tired of the annual fee nonsense with NAV. It's not so much
>> >> >that I don't agree with the fee process as the inconvenience of finding a
>> >> >package at the store that's a 'normal price'. Often the have some ridicu=
>> >lous
>> >> >price with a rebate to make the price 'normal', or maybe even approximat=
>> >ely so.
>>
>> >> > Wayne T. Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
>> >> > (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
>> >> > Obz Site: 39=B0 15' 7" N, 121=B0 2' 32" W, 2700 feet
>>
>> >> > "It is better to be "approximately right" rather than
>> >> > "exactly wrong." -- John Tukey, Statistican
>> >> >--
>> >> > Web Page: <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews> Hi Wayne,=
>> > I keep a short list of links to free programs like
>> >> AVG, and other good free programs to help protect your computer,
>> >> filter out unwanted news messages, and that kind of stuff. I
>> >> email this list to friends, and post it in these news forums
>> >> sometimes, so that every body knows it's on the up and up.
>>
>> >> Free anti virus AVG (version 7.5):
>> >> http://free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/lng/us/tpl/v5
>>
>> >> Free anti virus avast! (home edition version 4.6)
>> >> http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
>>
>> >> Free anti spyware, etc.:
>> >> http://www.ccleaner.com
>> >> http://www.spybot.info/en/download/
>> >> http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
>> >> http://www.winpatrol.com/download.html
>> >> http://www.superantispyware.com/down...ctid=3DSUPERAN...
>> >.=2E
>> >> http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/res/ie-spyad.zip
>> >> http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.zip
>> >> http://www.funkytoad.com/hoster.htm
>> >> http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/
>> >> http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/resource.htm
>> >> http://www.siteadvisor.com/download/ie.html
>>
>> >> Free news readers:
>> >> http://www.40tude.com/dialog/
>> >> http://xnews.newsguy.com/
>>
>> >> Free news filters:
>> >> http://www.nfilter.org/
>> >> http://www.arcorhome.de/newshamster/...amster_de.html
>>
>> >> Free public news servers:
>> >> http://www.newzbot.com/
>>
>> >> I use AVG, but I guess there are several others that are also
>> >> very popular. Don't forget, that you should never have more than
>> >> one anti virus program installed at a time. Also, it is good to
>> >> subscribe to "alt.privacy.spyware," since that is where I learned
>> >> about these and other programs, from the experts who post there.
>>
>> >> One thing they always say, is to never download a program from
>> >> any third party site, but only get it from the source web site
>> >> when ever possible. Or if not, get it from a known, reputable
>> >> site that is authorized by the program manufacturer to carry it.
>>
>> >> The flaw with that statement is that there are plenty of rogue
>> >> sites that pretend to be reputable, when they are anything but.
>> >> You can't be too careful now days. A lot of "anti" spy ware
>> >> programs are really spy ware. Even the popular browser toolbars
>> >> are getting that way, and yet they come bundled with legitimate
>> >> programs. The expression "never judge a book by its cover" fits
>> >> like a glove. Or, when in doubt, don't. Murphey's Law.
>>
>> >> Now that I say this, I realize that I should add links to one
>> >> or two free programs that help filter out email spam. I've been
>> >> getting a lot of that lately, with christmas and all.
>>
>> >> If only I could find a free program that would send a 50,000
>> >> volt electrical shock through the computer keyboards of these
>> >> outlaws who program and spread malicious viruses, and spy wares,
>> >> around. If I find such a program, I will be sure to include the
>> >> link.
>>
>> >> Ckypp
>>
>> >Re "I email this list to friends, and post it in these news forums
>> >sometimes, so that every body knows it's on the up and up". .... what
>> >do you mean by - "so that every body knows it's on the up and up" I would
>> >have thought that should be obvious, but I will try to
>> explain.
>>
>> There are some real experts who regularly read and post in the
>> "alt.privacy.spyware" news group. Nobody is going to pull the
>> wool over their eyes. Go ahead and try, and see what happens.
>>
>> If any of the 18 links listed on my short list is in any way
>> a "bad" or suspicious link, I am confident someone reading here
>> would have pointed that out by now. They haven't.
>>
>> As I already explained, this is because I found these links by
>> reading messages from the same experts who are subscribed to this
>> group, and probably a bunch of other groups, and topical web site
>> message forums. _They_ supplied the links. Not me. I simply
>> copied them to my short list, after I downloaded them and used
>> them. The only link listed that I haven't tried is the "avast!"
>> link. Experts here have recomended it, which is why I included
>> it as a viable alternative to AVG. There are other free AV wares,
>> but I wanted to keep this list short, and not too complicated.
>>
>> Except for "avast!," I use AVG and every anti spy program
>> listed on all three of my PCs, and with excellent results. My
>> friends have not complained, because they like what these
>> programs do.
>>
>> To the best of my limited knowledge and experience, every link
>> I have listed is good. If you know otherwise, please post the
>> correction here, so that the experts who read your correction,
>> and comment as to its veracity.
>>
>> Ckypp
>
>Thanks for clarifying - get it now. Brain must be stil recovering from
>Christmas Day. Wasn't having a go at you.

Thanks for replying. Sometimes this group does get some
heated arguments going on. Nothing wrong with a good argument
every now and then. It helps to identify possible "rogue"
soft ware, and the "rogues" who try and peddle them. It also
helps to identify who the real experts are, and the good soft
wares that they recommend, like what's on my short list. They
discuss more advanced techniques, but I think that's getting a
little too complicated for the average user, like me. I just
want to "plug and play," well, not quite. Everything good
takes a bit of work, like a marriage, I suppose.

I noticed Heather's reply, which made me realize that the
expression "on the up and up" was a poor choice of words on my
part. Anti virus and anti spy ware is a very serious subject,
much too serious to be using casual phrases like that.

"Recommended by experts" might have worked better, I don't
know. It works, and the people who program and spread viruses
and spy wares around don't like these programs one bit.

And I guess the "old guard" commercial bloat ware like NAV,
McAfee and such are none too happy about it, either.


Ckypp