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Posted on 04/20/2011 9:53:49 AM PDT by DBCJR
This is supposedly a safe browser add-on that will help protect against dangerous or fraudulent websites. Users are supposed to rate sites good or bad. But WOT actively rewards users who specialize in giving negative reports. Some of their top-rated users have done tens of thousands of negative reports, and it is obvious they are not really rating sites accurately. WOT's own statistics show that the overwhelming majority of ratings are negative. The developers of WOT are in the business of selling security seals for websites, so they have a vested interest in making website owners afraid of negative ratings. It is typical for harmless websites to have negative ratings, which cause scary warning messages to pop up in the browser of anyone who has installed with WOT plugin. If the website owners aren't using WOT, they may never even know they have been targeted. At the same time, there are a number of dangerous or fraudulent sites which have no ratings or good ratings from WOT. Overall, the ratings are worthless to consumers and possibly very harmful to people running reputable online businesses. Then, when you realize that this plug-in is worse than useless and uninstall it, it is never really completely uninstalled, but leaves hidden traces behind, in the same way that spyware does. Stay away from this terrible product.
Beware of the add-on’s.
Rebuttal response by WOT employee:
> But WOT actively rewards users who specialize in giving negative reports.
Users who give negative ratings are not treated any differently from others.
> Some of their top-rated users have done tens of thousands of negative reports, and it is obvious they are not really rating sites accurately
Many of the most active users are focused on investigating Internet scams, which explains why they primarily leave negative comments.
> WOT’s own statistics show that the overwhelming majority of ratings are negative.
You are looking at the comment statistics. Comments aren’t ratings and 90% of all websites have a good reputation. You can learn about the difference here:
http://www.mywot.com/wiki/FAQ#Ratings_vs._comments
> The developers of WOT are in the business of selling security seals for websites, so they have a vested interest in making website owners afraid of negative ratings.
WOT sells trust seals to websites that have earned a good reputation and thus has no vested interest in rating sites poorly:
http://www.mywot.com/wiki/FAQ#Selling_trust_seals_means_reputations_can_be_bought
> At the same time, there are a number of dangerous or fraudulent sites which have no ratings or good ratings from WOT.
Do you have examples? Also read this:
http://www.mywot.com/wiki/FAQ#But_I_don.27t_agree_with_a_reputation.21
> Then, when you realize that this plug-in is worse than useless and uninstall it, it is never really completely uninstalled, but leaves hidden traces behind, in the same way that spyware does.
The add-on is not spyware. It’s currently recommended by Mozilla, Google, and Opera and the source code is available for anyone to examine:
http://www.mywot.com/wiki/FAQ#The_add-on_is_spyware_or_adware
> Stay away from this terrible product.
Here’s a different point of view from someone who isn’t anonymous:
“Browsing the Web with the Web of Trust extension gives a completely different sense of security,” said Christen Krogh, Chief Development Officer, Opera. “Instead of browsing alone, you have millions of people helping point out what sites are trustworthy, are safe for your children, and respect your privacy. No matter how you use the Web, Web of Trust is an essential tool to browse safely in today’s sometimes uncertain environment.”
http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2011/01/27/
yes, I do have an example. Our church’s website has been classified by your service as follows:
Trustworthiness - unsatisfactory
Vendor Reliability - poor
Privacy - very poor
Child Safety - very poor
I am sure that you can see three of the four categories are not even relevant to a church. This is obviously the result of someone with an illegitimate agenda.
I didn’t ask the question. Don’t tell me, tell them! lol
I am, and everyone else I can tell - just like WOT is doing - except my information is based upon fact.
There’s a better way to gauge trustworthyness than the old “listen to the screams” method.
Check the company, its owners and officers, and the market it sits in. Often, you’ll find these characters to be straight-up swindlers if not worse.
The software market is particularly odious.
I get your point but I am trying to make a point to WOT. Their defense and reasoning for not removing obviously erroneous information is that they cannot help how their subscribers rate a site. They can’t help the “screams” either.
All that means is that Opera is falling into the same set of fraudulent/borderline/outright criminal behaviour exemplified by other companies in the software market.
There’s one proper means of correcting this stuff: shunning. The market will fix the vermin.
This happened to me. It took me 18 months to realize what’s going on. So, I joined WOT on the May 18th 2012 to ask them why is their API harassing my visitors on the Facebook. Apparently Sami Tolvanen, the Co-Founder and CTO of WOT asked me if I remember what happened back in November 2010. I really couldn’t recall. So he said that I was bad writing bad article about Minecraft so they rated me poorly. My website is all in red. It’s my hobby website where I make and put games, mostly Flash.
I’m keen on finding more people that are hurt by their scam so that we could file a lawsuit before the EU, since WOT seems to be protected by the ruling elite in US, which can explain why they’re present in the Facebook. I’m also looking for website that are willing to present the scam in a more understanding fashion for non-technical people so that users of WOT plugin would be able to uninstall it. I had a few people asking me how to uninstall it after reading my page, they don’t know how to do it and even if that’s possible. I Google it and posted my findings on my forum, but I never did it myself.
http://www.codergames.com/news/games/myWOT-WOT-Web-Of-Trust-public-opinion-worldwide-scam/
I actually got them to correct the problem after sufficient threats. They attempt to feign non-responsibility saying the reviews and ratings are by saying they are the results of third parties’ input, not theirs. They state that their credibility and integrity prevents them from altering the results. They “suggest” you get all your friends to sign up and rate you to raise your scores - thereby raising their membership. What a scam!
By posting here we probably all risk them to do further attacks and make further untrue statements about our websites. Google WOT or Web of Trust and you will see forums filled with similar stories.
MyWOT has a community of high level users that get to decide if they like your website or not. If they do not then then rate it low and there is nothing you can do about. They make false statements that we sell drugs, identity theft, and are deceptive. We then use the support method to have customers rate our website, but that was a waste. We just opened them up to the communities hate. They can delete the positive posts and put their posts at the top.
We do not directly offer surgery and we in no way offer drugs. We help customers collect information about places in Thailand so they can make accurate information. We make no decisions for them, but only help provide information. During their time here, we are their guide and driver.
No one seems interested in reading what we do. It seems like some personal grudge to just take advantage. We read in the support to have our friends and customer come in rate and now users are trying to use that against us as well. We care about our business and if we were some sort of scam we wouldn’t spend the time to register here or even list here at all.
If anyone here has ever run a small business they would know how difficult is and how much it means to the owner. It is not easy to tell people to register on a website and comment in favor of your website.
People are making assumptions and judgement about us. We listed here to help list our company details. Not to list a scam in a website that protects against scams. How do we combat negative reviews from non-customers that are claiming we are associated with botched surgeries, credit card fraud or selling drugs?
The ironic thing is, is that mywot is difficult to contact. There is not information about them, and after flagging libel comments nothing happens. This is not what this website is for and it seems many business have had similar problems with their high level users. I do not think mywot is a bad company, but their high level users get to dictate if you are accepted or not instead of how this website states websites are rated.
Our positive reviews were deleted and their lies went to the top. Doing this will probably enrage the community more, and hurt our rating. However, the company can not survive if it is not true to its mission and provides bogus reporting.
http://www.mywot.com/en/forum/34718-glorysurgery-com
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