We recently purchased McAfee Internet Security Suite 2007 (8-in-1Protection) for approximately $70 as alternative to Norton Security. It is just as bad. In one computer it allowed, according to Business Depot staff, 242 viruses to in one computer within one year! Last year Norten had the same problem. This year back to Norton Security.

The bad guys circle around both products. Both products are ineffective when it comes to pornographic sites, accessing Yahoo.email, Yahoo homepage and parental controls. Norton in pariticular blocks legitimate sites such as Yahoo or the bank and allows significant pornographic material even when it is supposed to block offensive material with parental control. Same problem with McAfee.  What's up? Yahoo is getting squeezed and does not even know it. What ever happened to American capitalism? It has produced two losers and no competition.

This is one of the major problems with the internet. McLeans Magazine calls the internet a trilion dollar failure: "After all the hype, it's a trillion-dollar disappointment and a haven for cranks, liars and perverts. The internet sucks" states Maclean's on the front cover of the 30th October issue.

With respect to these two companies they are correct. A class action or government intervention will help save the internet from its self.

Pornographic sites bypass McAfee Site Advisor which often finds no significant problems (okay for adults but should not be okay for kids with parental control enabled).  Pornographic sites should not be available to minors. Moreover, the names of pornographic sites often tricks kids and gets them on-line to view this dangerous material that is not age appropriate when they are in fact looking for children's websites with similar names.

These two products often do not block these sites. The irony is Norton blocks your Yahoo. email or administor or the bank and other legitimate 3rd parties. You have to disable the system to access these sites which in turn makes you more vulnerable! Both products are often blind and stupid and a waste of money in these specific respects.

 It also gives people a false sense of security which is even worse and more  dangerous as you let your guard down. The best way to safe guard what your kids see is to have the computer in a public place in the home where parents can watch over the kids and take care that they do not access these sites. The kids will be embarassed to view sites in a family setting. The internet can also be a very dangerous place and we should all take care that we put safety and education first.