Reposting: My personal philosophy toward the daily update thread

[Originally posted 31 July 2008; recopied here with only minor editing/updating]

Since there was recently some controversy about the “value” of the daily update thread, I thought it might be appropriate for me to offer a few comments, specifically indicating how and why I choose to highlight (list) certain programs... while omitting others.

 

Before beginning, let me stress that the Daily Update is [and will remain] a community thread, and anyone who so desires may join-in to suggest/recommend any items that they wish to… just because I might choose to omit a certain product does not mean others can’t offer a reference to it.

 

We start each day with a link to the CoU (Calendar of Updates).   This is a rather extensive listing of many programs that were updated that day (and more generally, that month).   It’s a great reference guide, and we certainly encourage all users to “visit” there regularly! 

 

The “problem”, for want of a better term, is that this Calendar is TOO comprehensive for the average user, who may soon become overwhelmed by all the many references there.   Accordingly, each day, we try to perform an additional service, by sifting though this list, and calling attention to just a few “select” items… the “gems”.   Which begs the obvious question: how and why I am choosing to list the particular programs that I do??

 

To answer the question, it’s easier to start with the opposite:   to explain what programs I don’t list.    While other people may feel differently --- and if so, are free to add these items if they so wish --- I myself make it a point to omit the following group of items:

 

1) I omit references to any PAID products, no matter how good they may be.   There are three reasons for this decision:

a-      I do not want to be accused of “pushing” paid products, or of having any economic affiliation with their creator/distributor;

b-     I believe there’s a more than adequate selection/supply of quality FREE products that can get the job done comparably; and

c -  Paid versions are generally "better" at automatically/efficiently obtaining any available update files (both program and database) --- after all, isn't this one of the extra features that you're paying for???

 

2) I omit references to any definition/database/reference file [for anti-virus or anti-malware programs] that is typically updated on a DAILY basis.   Users should accustom themselves to checking for these updates daily --- ideally, to have their anti-virus program automatically check for database updates as soon as they go online at the start of each day.   [If your anti-virus does not allow for automatic daily updates, then you should be sure to do a manual check every day.]   And likewise, you should be sure that any resident anti-malware program you might have is updated daily [or as frequently as offered].   Since I believe this should be done routinely, every day, I don’t see any point calling special attention to these.

 

3) I omit references to "non-finalized" (Beta or Release Candidate) versions of programs, lest anyone inadvertently become a "guinea pig" to test things out and succumb to their bugs.   [An exception to this "rule" was release candidates of Secunia's PSI (Personal Software Inspector), which were just too valuable to ignore, and which did not entail the same degree of risk normally associated with a beta product.   A "finalized" version of the PSI is now available, so mention of this "exception" is really a moot point.]

 

Now, keeping the above exclusions in mind, of what’s left, here’s how I decide what to include:

 

1)      I will include mention of those FREE product updates that I personally use, “believe in”, and recommend.   These include:  Avast Anti-Virus; Comodo Pro Firewall 2.4.x; SpywareBlaster, MBAM (MalwareBytes Anti-Malware), SAS (SuperAntiSpyware), Windows Defender, SpyBot Search & Destroy; WinPatrol; and CCleaner.

 

2)      I will include mention of those FREE product updates that other prominent forum members or acknowledged experts whose opinions I respect (such as Joe53, BugBatter and/or Donna [of CoU]), use and recommend [even though I myself do not use them].   These include Avira Antivir; Comodo Pro Firewall 3.x, Online Armor Firewall; Comodo BOClean,  A2-Free, A2-AntiMalware.  [Keep in mind I can run only one anti-virus and one firewall.   The fact that I’m currently running Avast should not be taken as a sign that I have any problems with Antivir, which I indeed perceive to be a quality product.  And likewise for Online Armor firewall.]

 

3)      I will include mention to the monthly Microsoft Windows Critical/Security updates.   Likewise, I will call attention to any Critical/Security update (especially if there’s a Secunia advisory for it) for the standard web browsers (Internet Explorer, FireFox, Opera), Media Players (Windows, RealPlayer, QuickTime), browser “enhancers” (Java, Flash & Shockwave players), and Adobe Reader.   As it happens, I in fact have all of these installed on my systems, and make at least some use of each.

 

Finally, there is a group of “discretionary” products that I may personally choose to include or exclude:

 

1)      I will (reluctantly) tend to include mention of products that, based on “forum chatter”, many people use, and presumably still have some “redeeming value”, even if I may have qualms/doubts about that product.   The main example here is AVG Anti-Virus 8.0.   My “sense” is that it’s not the same quality product that AVG used to be in prior versions.   But since many forum members still use it, I will try to keep them informed of available updates [for the FREE version], so that they may keep their systems as secure as possible.  (In such a case, I may also choose to tag-on a personal disclaimer.)  But I will no longer include update information for the PAID-only version.

 

2)      I intend to omit mention of products that, even if still used by some/many forum members, have been “shunned” by [what I perceive to be the more-knowledgeable] members of this community as having questionable value in its current form.   An example here would be Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware.  

 

These are my “guidelines”… I’m sure there’ll be mention [or omission] of other products that I’ve “overlooked” at this time.

 

I will conclude my thoughts by reiterating what I said at the start:  the Daily Update is [and will remain] a community thread, and anyone who so desires may join-in to suggest/recommend any program updates that they wish to.