What do I think about Comodo?

[Tech]

I just want to share my thoughts about Comodo.

For me:

1. Comodo is a competitor of avast, AVG and Avira as the three big "A"s sell a product that Comodo releases for free.

2. avast, AVG and Avira aren't competitors of Comodo for the same reason: Comodo already releases a full suite (antivirus, firewall, HIPS, etc.) for free, so the others aren't directly the competition. Ok, they take the mouth-to-mouth and eat the market share... but, not in the same products.

3. The Comodo competition is Symantec (Verisign) and other paid services (of online backup, for instance, but also encryption, connection privacy, digital certificates). Melih knows that, acts with this in mind.

So, when we see in Comodo forum the other antivirus/firewall users, they're not the enemy.
On contrary, Comodo, for that companies, is a competitor. So Comodo is not treated the same way it should treat the others.

Some users do not understand that.
Some users cannot tolerate the different treatment Comodo receives in other company forums.
But, for me, it's the difference point of view and situation.

Comodo model is "above" (or at least different than the others). Everything is free.
Other free aren't the competition. The other users are in the same side after all.

Everybody could make this real. Everyone could colaborate.
I wish I could help Comodo and Comodo forums (so I've posted in this part of the board).
And yes, I feel sad when people can't dialog and can't create a forum atmosphere of friendship and collaboration (including me, if I had flamed at anytime  ).

[captainsticks]

To Tech +1 Well said. I haven't been a forum member to long, and in that short time I have seen a decline in the friendliness of a lot of forum members. We have to remember whatever is your choice of anti-malware we are all using and talking about it for the same reason, to fight malware. So regardless of your choice lets stick at it together. Competition is good, making enemies is not. Kind regards.

[HeffeD]

One of the things I've always liked about this forum is that in general, nobody tries to shove any product down your throat. If people happen to like something different, that's really not a problem for most of the forum goers. Sure, there are a few that are pretty adamant about their likes and dislikes and will strongly try to dissuade you from using certain products, but most will just give their opinion and ultimately let you make the decision.

So it's really quite a friendly atmosphere even to those who prefer other products. Much more so than other forums of competing products. Someone was posting just recently that on a competitors forum, you can't even mention another product. Which when you think about it, is quite silly because in this field, there are products that are definitely better at certain things than others, so it really makes sense to use what fits the bill the best instead of trying to ignore the fact that there are other products around that may be better suited for the task at hand.

However, people do feel very strongly about the products they like, and tempers can flare when these products are being misrepresented, whether by ignorance or deliberately. This is often misinterpreted as a fanboy attitude, which it really isn't. There's a difference between defending deliberate misrepresentation and constantly trying to stuff your favorite product down peoples throats. (As fanboys do...)

[JamesFrance]

I believe that Comodo has been damaged in the past by the basic internet problem of someone posting somewhere or blogging something which is an unfounded accusation.   Something like that comes up on Google and can then be spread all over the internet by others who have no way of knowing whether there is any truth in the facts stated or whether the original poster has any legal knowledge or other specialist qualification to back up their opinion.

It is far too easy to use cut and paste to spread gossip and if an ignorant opinion is not challenged forcefully it can so easily end up being seen as a truth.

I have seen many personal attacks made on Melih in various forums by a small clique who never seem to miss an opportunity to try to persuade others not to 'trust' Comodo.   They invariably appear on any discussion of a Comodo product.   Unfortunately these people are part of a group of people who should be spending their energies combatting threats to the security of the internet, but they seem to have other intentions.

No other company seems to be so constantly exposed to this type of thing, so this forum does need to have a defensive mechanism which can be more effective than deleting ill informed posts.

I have been using Comodo products for 5 years and there has never been a dull moment.

Thankyou for my retirement hobby which I have found fascinating.

[Tech]

Heffe and James, thanks for sharing.
Indeed, misinformation and FUD is a problem on Internet as any opinion or user become a source of information, sometimes difficult to the user to find the correct one. Right now I can remember the eternal discussion between Windows and Linux users.
Also, nobody likes aggressive selling like Heffe said. For me, the popup policy of Avira is completely a shoot in the foot. It's boring, it's annoying.

[Watasha]

.. I haven't been a forum member to long, and in that short time I have seen a decline in the friendliness of a lot of forum members....

Comodo users have very often been attacked in many other forums for no other reason than being Comodo users. Every user of CIS is seen as a "fanboy" and every product Comodo introduces is many times discounted from the get go by other members of these forums. While two wrongs don't make a right, I can see why some forum members might get a bit defensive from time to time. There's only so much BS you can take before you've had enough.

[Tech]

Comodo users have very often been attacked in many other forums for no other reason than being Comodo users. Every user of CIS is seen as a "fanboy".

I try to do my best to reduce these two false situations: Comodo products being attacked and every Comodo user being consider a fanboy. I'm not always successful on that and, I confess, I give up too early sometimes.

[Watasha]

I try to do my best to reduce these two false situations: Comodo products being attacked and every Comodo user being consider a fanboy. I'm not always successful on that and, I confess, I give up too early sometimes.

Well if you've had the same luck as me it's somewhat akin to banging your head against a brick wall. For some reason it seems much like the "silent majority" syndrome, the most ignorant are the most opinionated.

[glifford]

It would be nice if such a sentiment was fostered by Melih himself.

I found this thread through that Bob thing, and the juxtaposition of these two threads is honestly... boggling.

As a matter of openness and concern -- as a matter of the general demeanor of CIS as a company, and what the Bob controversy contributes to (or takes away from) it -- how does it get on a CEO's action item list to persistently retaliate* to dissidence?

*I've specifically chosen the term "retaliate" over words such as "respond" "elucidate" and "mitigate". It strikes me that the latter would better share the sentiment of this thread.

As someone who's poured a lot of time into contributing to the community here, it's disheartening to see the leadership of the company act so childish. I feel like I have to tell myself, "well, Melih's just one forum user, not the entire community".

[Tech]

glifford, I understand your opinions and share some of them.
But, please, do not let this thread become into the other ones.
I mean, I've posted this to talk with other Comodo forum users about the forum atmosphere itself, not to start "discussion".

[glifford]

glifford, I understand your opinions and share some of them.
But, please, do not let this thread become into the other ones.
I mean, I've posted this to talk with other Comodo forum users about the forum atmosphere itself, not to start "discussion".

I've no intention of turning this thread into a continuation of the other. My intent is that it serve as an example of what the forum atmosphere can be around here at times - what it can be around here at times with Melih himself outwardly at the helm.*

And Melih is a substantial contributor to the atmosphere here. This is not an excuse to discuss him. This is the context under which I brought him up, and the context under which I intended to communicate my concern. Sorry if that was not clear.

*Edit: It's those times that the atmosphere should be the most friendly and collaborative.

[Melih]

I believe that Comodo has been damaged in the past by the basic internet problem of someone posting somewhere or blogging something which is an unfounded accusation.   Something like that comes up on Google and can then be spread all over the internet by others who have no way of knowing whether there is any truth in the facts stated or whether the original poster has any legal knowledge or other specialist qualification to back up their opinion.

It is far too easy to use cut and paste to spread gossip and if an ignorant opinion is not challenged forcefully it can so easily end up being seen as a truth.

I have seen many personal attacks made on Melih in various forums by a small clique who never seem to miss an opportunity to try to persuade others not to 'trust' Comodo.   They invariably appear on any discussion of a Comodo product.   Unfortunately these people are part of a group of people who should be spending their energies combatting threats to the security of the internet, but they seem to have other intentions.

No other company seems to be so constantly exposed to this type of thing, so this forum does need to have a defensive mechanism which can be more effective than deleting ill informed posts.

I have been using Comodo products for 5 years and there has never been a dull moment.

Thankyou for my retirement hobby which I have found fascinating.

Here is someone who understand the Dynamics perfectly!

Glifford: Pls read and try to understand what James is saying, its right on the money and here is your answer!

thank you James! This is so very clear! Everytime people ask question about why I respond to those threads, they should read your explanation!

Melih

[glifford]

Yes. A defense mechanism is most certainly a necessity, regardless of the extent to which Comodo comes under fire. And it's an incredible shame that anyone should personally attack you. I realize that it's a bit weird I should say that after calling your actions childish, but consider this, and consider that I did read James words carefully, and they do not address my concern...

Does a defense mechanism necessarily have to be retaliatory, pernicious, and/or smug?

I mean, I'm probably dealing with my own demons here a bit vicariously, but I don't think that necessarily puts me off base with what I'm saying.

Consider, that if the defense mechanism is, by virtue of being a defense for the validity of Comodo, also subsequently a defense for the image (not artifice) of Comodo, that repeatedly calling a critic a liar and a shill undermines that. And it certainly undermines a friendly and collaborative environment, or perhaps it may be more apt to say, it panders to the notion of an antagonistic environment.

As I'm pretty sure my presence in this thread is unwelcome, I'll defer any further involvement on my part to pm.

[Tech]

A defense mechanism is most certainly a necessity, regardless of the extent to which Comodo comes under fire.

Agree.

Does a defense mechanism necessarily have to be retaliatory, pernicious, and/or smug

No. Certainly not.

And it certainly undermines a friendly and collaborative environment, or perhaps it may be more apt to say, it panders to the notion of an antagonistic environment.

Maybe these are actions to some of the Mods and not for the CEO... Maybe Melih should preserve his position... Maybe.

As I'm pretty sure my presence in this thread is unwelcome.

Not really. The forum atmosphere is the key of this discussion. How could we make it better (if needed).

[Citizen K]

Bob failed to corroborate his accusations. That had to be pointed out various times to the users of that topic who failed to see this as the real underlying problem.