FYI: Eset support tech says HE wouldn't use Eset 3.0 products....

[jim]

I just got off the phone with Vladimir Paulen of Eset a few moments ago. He
called me to ask about the tech support issues that I have been reporting
here.

He apologized profusely for the actions of their rogue employee and assured
me that they employee was being dealt with internally.

He explained that while their continued popularity and subsequent doubling
of their customer base has created some growing pains, that was no excuse
for the treatment that I recieved or for an employee making the comments
about the software that he made.

Vladimir asked me to fully explain the issues that I had, not only with the
software, but also with tech support so that he could get to the bottom of
the issues and make sure that Eset's tech support does not suffer as the
company grows.

He has requested an email detailing the issues with the software so that he
can use it to look into the issues and get back to me with a response. He
also asked that I not judege Eset on the actions of a single rogue
employee - who has now been found via the emails that I reported and has
been dealt with internally by Eset.

I told Vladimir that the biggest problem that I had was not the glitches
that I had seen in the new software, but the lack of support for 7 days and
the subsequent emails from tech support staff that were not of a
professional or helpful nature.

I am going to email Vladimir the problems that I have seen with the new ESS
3.0 and NOD32 3.0 products and I will update you on any solutions that we
come up with to the problems.

He was very open to suggestions of adding an "exempt this file" and/or
"exempt this folder" button to the threat screens. He was also aware that
sometimes NOD32 cannot clean infected archived files and shows a red threat
screen with no actions available.

I did suggest that we always be able to quarantine or delete any file that
triggers a red threat screen and that all files deleted also have a copy
placed in a quarantined folder just in case the user did not want the file
deleted, accidentally deleted a needed file or there was a false positive
that triggered the deletion of the file.

I was very impressed with Vladimir's concern mainly over the treatment given
by the tech support personnel, and with his willingness to entertain
suggestions that may help NOD32 continue on it's growth path.

If you have suggestions for the Eset team, please post them here so that I
can make sure that they get to Vladimir and hopefully make NOD32 even better
than the 2.7 version (that I really loved using).

Thanks to Vladimir for the call, and I will update you all with any further
developments.

jim

 

[jim]

As an aside, I thought it may help to have newsgroups to discuss specific
software openly and freely.

Accordingly, I have had the good folks at AT&T add the following
newsgroups...

alt.software.antivirus.eset.nod32
alt.software.antivirus.eset.ess
alt.software.antivirus.symantec.norton360
alt.software.graphics.adobe.fireworks
alt.software.graphics.adobe.photoshop

If you agree that this would be a good thing, please ask your news server
wranglers to add them to your newsgroup servers as well.

Who knows....perhaps we can start a real alt hierarchy that deals with
specific software and presents the world with open, accessible forums to
discuss issues, ideas, tips and tricks that deal with specific software
without having to search the web over and without being subject to the
censorship practised in some forums.

If it takes off, my guys and I will donate free software and webpages to
access the newsgroups in a simple, straightforward manner for people that
may not feel quite at home with newsgroups (or even know what they are).

If you'd like other groups added, let me know and I will have them added at
AT&Ts newsgroup servers.

Cheers!

jim

 

[Kerry Brown]

That is good news.

 

[SG]

Hi Jim,

Read all these post and to add, people like you with calm intelligent post
can and will get things done. CHEERS to you as well my friend

 

[Edward W. Thompson]

Since I support over 200 users and 18 small businesses. In all of those
desktop configurations, perhaps I have run into some things that you are
not using on your WIN XP Pro...just perhaps.

Perhaps these configurations are the source of the problem. We'll likely
never know as I was forced to remove Eset's software due to a lack of
response from technical support in a time frame that would have allowed me
to care for my clients in a timely, professional manner.

As far as calling me a "mal-content" (sic) {"One who is discontented or
dissatisfied.
"}, that is cerainly true. But, at first, it was only true as far as the
service that I got from Eset's technical support staff. And, my
continuing discontentment is due to that experience and their own
evaluation of the software and mistrust of it.

The flippant attitude and complete disregard for the troubles being
experienced by clients running their software is the reason that I have
posted here as a warning to others - NOT simply because a piece of
software had a glitch.

As a programmer of over 21 years, I am well aquainted with the problems
one encounters delivering software to work on the almost limitless
configurations that users will throw at it. I am also well aquainted with
the differences between good customer service and the type that I recieved
from Eset in this instance.

If you disagree, you are certainly welcome to your opinion concerning what
is and what is not 'mainstream experience'. I am simply stating my
problems in using the software and getting competent technical support
from Eset - an experience that I have been told many times now is not all
that uncommon.

jim

I take your point but the service you received but it may well be related to
locality. I assume you are referring to responses to queries to an Eset US
Office. My experience is that questions directed to the UK Eset offices are
promptly and courteously addressed. Further, NOD32 ver 3 has been available
for some time now and this is the first time I have seem a post relating to
problems with it. So perhaps you are experiencing a problem specific to
certain machines alternatively I may be living in 'lah lah land'!

If, as I suspect, your problems are machine specific then it would seem that
the problem rests with the machine configuration, or conflict with other
software, rather than NOD32. As you seem to have access to a range of
machines, have you replicated the problem on a machine cleaned of other
software?

I believe Eset is a responsible Company and consider it most unlikely that
they would ignore a programming problem with their software, as you suggest.

As for warning the usenet community of your experiences concerning the
inadequacy of Eset software, you must be a very busy person if you apply the
same diligence to other software and their representatives. I find warnings
that are non specific as nothing but 'spam'. I also take great exception to
your story that an unnamed person employed by Eset advised not to use their
software. Do you really think any sensible person is going to give credence
to that?

 

[jim]

I take your point but the service you received but it may well be related
to locality. I assume you are referring to responses to queries to an
Eset US Office. My experience is that questions directed to the UK Eset
offices are promptly and courteously addressed.

I am glad to hear that. I had always recieved great service from Eset until
this incident. And, yes, it was indeed the US office of Eset that I
contacted.

To their credit, the CTO Richard Marko (based in the UK I believe) and
Vladimir Paulen are both looking into this incident. After speaking with
Vladimir yesterday, I have no doubt that this was a rougue employee and that
it will be dealt with appropriately within Eset.

Further, NOD32 ver 3 has been available for some time now and this is the
first time I have seem a post relating to problems with it. So perhaps you
are experiencing a problem specific to certain machines alternatively I may
be living in 'lah lah land'!

You are right in stating that this could have been a local problem. But, I
have seen the issue on more than one machine in more than one business. In
fact, my main concern was the blocking of certain applications (Peachtree
Accounting to be specific) that one of my clients was experiencing when we
installed ESS 3.0.

She would experience the problems even with the firewall turned off and with
the applications files exempted.

If, as I suspect, your problems are machine specific then it would seem
that the problem rests with the machine configuration, or conflict with
other software, rather than NOD32. As you seem to have access to a range
of machines, have you replicated the problem on a machine cleaned of other
software?

We have not. We were trying to solve an issue in a production environment.
Adding Ess 3.0 added the problem. Removing it solved the problem. Thus, to
my thinking, there must be something strange happening involving ESS 3.0.

I believe Eset is a responsible Company and consider it most unlikely that
they would ignore a programming problem with their software, as you
suggest.

Those were my thoughts exactly. I found it hard to believe that they would
not return calls as promised and that they waited 7 days to email me
concerning the issue. But, it happended. It is all documented and has been
sent to Eset's CTO, Richard Marko.

As for warning the usenet community of your experiences concerning the
inadequacy of Eset software, you must be a very busy person if you apply
the same diligence to other software and their representatives.

In fact, I am a very busy person. But, when it comes to software that is
supposed to protect you, software that is increasingly used by thousands of
users charged with keeping their end users safe, I will take the time needed
to help those people protect their end users just as I am charged with
protecting mine.

It's called community. People helping people. When you see what you
believe is a serious problem, you raise an alarm.

You are at liberty to ignore this thread - indeed all of my threads. In
fact, I would encourage you to do so as you seem more bent on arguing than
on solving the noted security problems.

I find warnings that are non specific as nothing but 'spam'.

My warnings have been very specific - even to the point of posting the
requested email with headers attached.

I also take great exception to your story that an unnamed person employed
by Eset advised not to use their software.

You may very well take exception to anything you like.

Eset's Vladimir Paulen and CTO Richard Marko have taken a more responsible
tact and are investigating the facts using the emails sent to me by their
employee.

Do you really think any sensible person is going to give credence to that?

Eset has. If that makes the UK CTO of Eset not "sensible" in your opinion,
again...you have the right to believe as you wish.

I, for one, am glad to see that they do take their company's image and
customers seriously and are investigating the service that I recieved in
this incident.

jim