I looked the forum, as much as I could - so many threads - but, I don’t think it has been suggested. But, if it has, then I apologize.
I was wondering what you (avast! users and avast! team, and other people who may not use avast!, but still come here.) would think about providing a stand-alone version for IE, extension for Chrome and Firefox? Opera, I’d think it would come out over time, considering its user base isn’t as massive as IE, Chrome and Firefox.
The reason why I suggest such is that, by doing it, people who aren’t using avast! products, but who like the concept behind WebRep, would use it and help avast! team improve the database of fraudulent websites (I believe it’s its main mission?), and in turn, avast! team would be helping avast! users as well.
I believe that all parties would benefit from it: 1) People not using avast! products, could still use WebRep and help detect a larger % of fraudulent websites; 2) avast! team would benefit from it, increasing the database 3) more people would benefit from it, including other avast! users
Maybe something to have under consideration? Anyway, just thought of sharing it. lol
The problem being that also allows people who aren’t avast users/don’t have avast installed the opportunity to add duff votes to the database, which might skew results if there aren’t a lot of votes for a site.
As you can see I’m a trusting sort, NOT.
There are also plans to incorporate other information/function to it in the future that may not be available to those that don’t have avast installed.
It really would apply to both as it would be a hook to try avast antivirus as there is no such hook if they can just try the webrep.
Given that it is very new and the database isn’t mature as a stand alone application they may not consider it very good right now.
Yes people could install avast free to try and trash a sites reputation, but a) having to install avast just to do that is somewhat extreme and b) their vote is only counted once. So I don’t see that being a route just to trash a site, etc.
But, it would benefic for avast! to have more users providing ratings to WebRep database, wouldn’t you agree?
Yes people could install avast free to try and trash a sites reputation, but a) having to install avast just to do that is somewhat extreme and b) [b]their vote is only counted once. So I don't see that being a route just to trash a site, etc.[/b]
But, wouldn’t that apply to a WebRep stand-alone version as well?
No I don’t agree since avast already has 150 million registered users and over 126 million active users, see http://www.avast.com/en-gb/facts. So there is already a large user base to provide ratings. I certainly wouldn’t like to see it go the way of WOT where there is seemingly no control over who enters what and how inaccurate it is at times.
yes it would but there would be no hindrance of having to install avast to get in the way of that intent…
thread is rather pointless as webrep xpi can so easily be saved and re-used without installing Avast at all ;D whether or not it comes bundled with Avast, it is already a standalone extension ;D
Yes, it can but those wanting to do so would have to either have had avast installed to extract it from firefox or get it from someone that has installed installed avast.
What Avast isn’t doing is making it readily available as a standalone download.
Why open the flood gates to see how big the problem might be.
As has been said at the last time of asking and any response from Avast they aren’t intending to release it as a standalone. So as Logos said this tread is a bit pointless.
With millions and millions of users already, the flood gates are open already.
And even though there may be no intention at this very moment, sometimes a good idea has to be promoted by insisting and repeating it. I see nothing wrong with that.
Mankind would have missed a lot of good things if those with the first sparkling idea had given up after the first “no”.
What Avast isn't doing is making it readily available as a standalone download
it’s been uploaded online already and will be again, and honestly I don’t think Avast minds. It’s mainly a good statistic tool for them. You know my position I don’t like tools like that and I don’t use them, except for short testing… so I don’t care really.
I don’t understand the point of view of some of you.
If the problem is having more avast! users (using a stand-alone WebRep version) provide dumb ratings, then why providing WebRep, at all? Is the WebRep component of avast! products foolproof? No, it isn’t. This means that many users will provide dumb ratings. So, if the problem are these type of ratings, then the problem is there already, it wouldn’t suddenly start with a stand-alone version.
If there is a problem, it’s already part of WebRep - the way it works. I don’t see a problem with releasing a stand-alone version, considering that avast! has a large user base. Do you really consider all of them will provide accurate ratings? Don’t you think that some of them will provide biased ratings? I wonder what’s the real % of avast! users that would provide proper ratings for websites. Most likely, the % would be short.
A stand-alone version isn’t the problem to inaccurate ratings. The problem lies in WebRep itself. Based on this, I don’t see what would be the real problem of providing a stand-alone version?
My concern with making WebRep standalone would be losing control of the updates. Currently WebRep has not even been integrated with the Avast! Virus Lab inputs, and only reflects the popularity of a site and the subjective judgment of the voters as to its content. Nothing there about potential danger, for example. As it is now, there is an update possible with every Avast! update, and a tie to an individual avast! user cookies for keeping the voting current as best one can. But I don’t use it either, so just an opinion.
user rates a site (rather following only his subjective thougts)
WebRep plug in sends this rating to server
WebRep server combines the votes with whatever other sources using whatever algorithms / logics (virus lab etc.)
WebRep server sends combined rating back to user plug in
plug in shows rating
That is, as far as I know, the theory. So there is no update necessary on the front end (plug in side). All it does is send a message like “Green, Shopping, News & Blogs” to the server and receives a similar message. Updating is to be done at the miraculous algorithm thingy on the server…
