McAfee wants a renew-by-default relationship with me
Bad McAfee. If you use the Web-based virus-protection software, VirusScan Online, then you have begun seeing a pop-up box every time you have scheduled McAfee to check for virus updates (9am daily for me). It says that Urgent Action is requested from you to “update your profile.” When the user clicks to check his profile and make sure everything is accurate, the form includes credit card information, which is blank. The form says that the credit card will not be charged until it’s time for renewal, but the user can’t close the form until he provides the credit card information. Sure McAfee wants to be in a renew-by-default relationship with me, but they haven’t earned that right.
Are they going to pester me every day until I give them my credit card, er, um, “update my profile?” This is the best news Symantec (their competitor) has heard this year. I hope they have the server capacity to handle all the disaffected customers (including me).
Didn’t they learn anything from the bad press Microsoft got (and continues to get) about Passport? Be careful what kind of information you ask for and what the context is. Note to McAfee: Go to Google and search on the words “Passport” and “evil,” and see how many matches you get.
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