Whose problem is this again?
I use 8.0 as I have the last several versions. I have modest specs, ~2 ghz AMD/1g ram, cable internet. I most definitely use google for every search. I seem to either get 0 results, or several hundred thousand. When I get a pagefull, it is likely that as far as google is concerned, any of the top 10 sites probably claims to have the content I seek. If AVG can tell me 6 of them are 'suspicious', I only have to look at 4 of them to find the one containing what I'm after (hopefully). No speed difference in my case, other than I didn't waste my time trying to go to dodgy sites on the off chance that was where I looking to go.
But I would never (OK, maybe once) search for a site I visit often, once you're there, you poke it onto favorites and use your own link. No search engine, no linkscan, no traffic, no harm to any of your favorite sites, like the old vulture.
If it doesn't scan until I click, it costs me my time. Which is ALWAYS more valuable to me than your goofy web pages content, your revenue stream, your bandwith, etc.
Webmasters have proven they are not in control of their content. Furthermore, they may be diligent, and their site might indeed be a wonderful thing. However, as a user, from my viewpoint, they are 1 of thousands of hits on my search. I don't know them from Jack, and Google will spit out anything, why would I trust them BY Default? Nothing more to me at this point, unless and until I choose to give them my money. If I have a tool that saves my time & meets my needs to pre-test their site's integrity BEFORE I consider clicking, they need to adapt or close.
If you want to block me - Rock on I don't need you. More and more AV products are going to offer this valuable service. In 6 months you'll be explaining to your 'advertisers' why you are blocking all their potential customers. I've never understood advertising anyhow. When the ads come on TV, mysteriously the volume increases 25%. So I mute for 2 minutes 6 times an hour. I might listen if they didn't go out of their way to offend. We are big (and getting bigger) users of VMware, and it has nothing to do with their advertising on this site or any other. It's all about VMware's awesomeness. When I go to the store, I already know what I want, I get it and get out. Isn't this normal behavior for 90% of males? So tell me again how advertising generates sales?
Granted, if 8.0 has a negative impact on your system, don't load it. But don't not protect yourself or waste your time because it might cause a webmaster to have to become efficient.
Granted, 1 AVG rep has told the webmasters the same thing I do, but Pat did come forward and request constructive assistance. Software doesn't write itself the instant a desire is discovered. Give the man a break. 70,000 computer's aren't P0wning your website with bot attacks because AVG are protecting people FOR FREE for years. Try looking at ALL sides.
The valid concern raised is my traffic is being recorded as going somewhere I didn't go. I have a question for Pat/AVG. Since my browser didn't go there, there souldn't be any residue in my browser, cache, tempfiles, cookies etc. So any half-way decent computer forensics would indeed show that my AVG went to the site, not my browser, correct?
Also, it's my impressions most bad stuff comes from ads, which change every view. So the pre-scan can clearly give false info in 'real time'. But something is better than nothing until someone convinces me otherwise.
P.S. as a disclaimer giving insight on my particular thought processes. I don't have a cell phone because I refuse to pay money for a service that only works some time, until I can get money back for when it don't. And I voted for Ron Paul in the primaries. And DSL providers should all be sued for using the term 'broadband' in association with their services.