Hello Simon, Allie, & others following this important thread. It seems to me that Simon and Allie are basing their positions on two different principles or givens, which are always correct by definition. That's what produces a stalemate, in absolute terms. In relative terms, each of us can decide for him or herself which principles are more or less (or equally) important. Below, I present a third principle that I believe is also relevant.
As I understand it, Simon maintains that using a AV app that provides a greater degree of security by selecting for potentially dangerous file types and patterns is preferable. No one can argue with that, since that IS his preference, one which I'm sure is shared by many others as well (including myself, in many cases). OTOH, Allie maintains that the true function of an AV app is to provide protection against "real viruses (virii?) "in the wild", and questions the validity of (and therefore, the degree of security provided by) the tests that Simon believes demonstrate a capacity for providing a greater degree of protection. Allie also mentions ways to implement multiple AV apps that may provide an even greater benefit. Obviously, the AV app that provides the greatest protection against "real virii in the wild" is what most of us want. Unfortunately, conflicting data sources provide incomplete support for arriving at a definitive conclusion in what is in any case, a continually changing field. All of us need virus protection and use applications intended to provided it. Kapersky, DrWeb, NOD32, F-Prot and probably a few others are indisputably among the best there are, while AVG may well be the best free AV app available. All have their relative strengths and weaknesses and are more or less effective, depending on the situation. In the context of any TB! list, it can be assumed that compatibility with TB! is also an important issue for any AV app. Beyond that, I believe that maintaining a friendly atmosphere is also important on all TB-lists, which are excellent forums we all use to share knowledge and help each other in a constructive and civil manner. While differences of opinion and preferences are inevitable, maintaining the friendly nature of the interchange is even more important than proclaiming which of the very competent AV apps mentioned (Kapersky, DrWeb, NOD32, F-Prot, AVG etc,) is king of the hill. (Which hill)? Douglas -- ________________________________________________ Current version is 1.61 | "Using TBUDL" information: http://www.silverstones.com/thebat/TBUDLInfo.html
