Re: [tlug] AV Preferences for Android

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

On Sun, Apr 1, 2012 at 10:32 AM, Lyle H Saxon <llletters@example.com> wrote:

>> Ah, ZDNet. They've been churning out articles about Android
>> that look ghost-written by Apple.  [[ This wasn't Lyle. CL, I think. ]]

Note that I am not writing about Android.  I'm writing about free
anti-malware apps, which in this case happen to be for Android.  Eg,
it's my birthday, and my wife is buying me a sma-hoe.  That hoe will
probably be an iPhone, but I will consider the article I read to be
"guilty until proven innocent" evidence against iPhone anti-malware
apps, too.

> Indeed.  The links between PR agencies (read "Stealth Advertising Agencies")

What's "stealth" about it?  PR agencies don't pretend to do anything
but represent the best interests of their clients in my experience.
Sometimes that even includes telling unpleasant truths about their
clients (but only as a last resort, of course).  And they certainly do
many things other than advertising.

> and periodicals is deep and strong

Sure, and Bob Woodward had close relations with centrally placed
members of the Nixon Administration.

Certainly such relations tend to corrupt.

> - and spare me any "Conspiracy theories!
> Ha-ha-ha!" nonsense.  I was in PR before.

Aha!  You should never trust anything you say ever again.<wink/>

> Saw it all first-hand.  Even
> without that background, it's pretty obvious that ZDNet is foul - not
> objective, not fair, not balanced.

Sure.  Nevertheless, "even a stopped clock is right twice a day."
Knowing what I do about how the anti-malware out there works, I find
it plausible that the ZDNet author (who normally is an Android
booster) told no lies about what he did, and did not rig the outcomes.
 Assuming that, the fact that it is easy to find at least 25
"anti-malware" apps none of which come close to finding all the
malware tested (and that a tiny fraction of all malware) *should* give
one pause.  The claim that some find *none* should be shocking, if
true.