New AVG is messing with traffic stats

[Ms Naughty]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06...affic_numbers/

Six months ago, AVG acquired Exploit Prevention Labs and its Linkscanner, a tool that automatically scans search engine results before you click on them. If you search Google, for instance, and ten results turn up, it visits all ten links to ensure they're malware free.

Then, in late April, AVG rolled Linkscanner into its anti-virus engine, which has about 70 million active users worldwide. The company estimates that 20 million machines have upgraded to the tool's new incarnation, AVG version 8, and this has already cooked up enough ghost clicks to skew traffic not only on The Reg but any number of other sites as well.

The new AVG is something of a pain in terms of the system resources it uses too. My poor old PC has become decidedly creaky since I upgraded. I've turned off the linkscanner and also the thing where it constantly scans whatever file you may happen to be using.

[HappySpanker]

AVG is trying to backpedal as fast as they can. Really one of the more memorable and ignorant 'features' to include. What they also did not mention is that if Google gives you 10 hits - thats actually over 50 URLs on the one results page. You can imagine the 'search' footprint left for the user, and only guess what sort of massive waste of traffic is generated from hitting something like The Hun's link page... ahem....

Imagine the foot prints you would leave from reading a CNN story about known terrorists or kid porn web sites - which happened to include links to them in the story... By the end of the day your ISP's logs would offer a colorful set of activity for you -- that you were competely unaware of.

I'd be getting killing AVG deader than Nixon.

[ArtWilliams]

I have one Windows machine and I am experiencing the same problem. Can either of you (or anyone else) suggest a free (as in beer) alternative? Thanks.

[HappySpanker]

I have grown fond of PCTools Spyware doctor. Turn it on 1-2 times a year for a sweep. Personally don't trust freeware scanners, and a basic license for PCTools is good for 3 computers for only $30. At $10 per machine that's a good deal...

[papagmp]

Originally Posted by HappySpanker

I have grown fond of PCTools Spyware doctor. Turn it on 1-2 times a year for a sweep. Personally don't trust freeware scanners, and a basic license for PCTools is good for 3 computers for only $30. At $10 per machine that's a good deal...

I use them too - so far I'm very happy! Even more happy when it blocks GFY as a dangerous page.

[Bobc01]

Avast has been fairly good and less of a hog than norton before i turned to Vista 64..

Free version here...

http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

[Licker4U]

Originally Posted by Bobc01

Avast has been fairly good and less of a hog than norton before i turned to Vista 64..

Free version here...

http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

Avast has saved my ass on more than one occasion and picks up things Norton doesn't like malicious html code.