Russian Detective

mochi · New Member Joined: 05 May 2007 Posts: 32

wayne wrote:

Of course legitimate businesses use it, that's what it was created for in the first place.

Wayne, can you or anyone else here give some specific examples of this, particularly some legitimate Russian or Ukrainian dating services that use "The Bat!"?

I agree with everything you said, and those truly are words of wisdom to people like me who are striving to understand and learn more about separating the scammers from the real girls. It is not always a simple matter, and there are many factors one must consider.

However, I was merely posing the question of whether it was possible for a dating service to legitimately use "The Bat!" or not. You have answered YES to my question, but with all due respect, can you or anyone else here provide some data or examples to prove it? I think that is the original intent of this topic.

Elena · Site Admin Joined: 24 Jan 2006 Posts: 1987 Location: USA

wayne wrote:

Here's a question. Have any of you ever had a real girl email you that had The Bat! in the headers?

When I first started to write to my husband, I used The Bat because it is what was installed on the computer that I was using in my brother's office.

I continued use The Bat until I got my own computer that came installed with Outlook.

My family in Russia has The bat on their computer. So, when I go to Russia next year and use my family's computer to write to you guys, you will see TheBat in my headers, I am afraid. Laughing

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Elena · Site Admin Joined: 24 Jan 2006 Posts: 1987 Location: USA

Bat is a very popular program in Russia. It is free (or it used to be free, I do not know about now) and easy to use.

It is hard to imagine it is being used in the InternetCafe by the visitors (although the employees of the cafe may have an installed version that they use when they need it), but I see no problem with a dating agency using it. Any business can install it, why not.

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1. I don't check my PM (Personal Messages) often. If you need my help urgently, send an email. 2. Do not send me scam reports. Post all the information you have on the forum. 3. I CANNOT upload any scam reports for you.

mochi · New Member Joined: 05 May 2007 Posts: 32

Elena wrote:

Bat is a very popular program in Russia. It is free (or it used to be free, I do not know about now) and easy to use.

Here is a quote from the RiTLabs web site: "The Bat! is a "try-before-you-buy" product. Here you can download a fully-functional copy of the software and use it for free for 30 days. You will need to register The Bat! if you decide to continue using it beyond the trial period."

So it is not free software. There is currently a $25 fee for student edition, $35 fee for home edition, or $45 fee for pro edition. However there most likely are bootleg versions available that do not require registration and/or key generators to create a fake registration.

I am curious, why would Russians not use Outlook Express which is included free with MS Windows? Why would they go through the trouble of installing a separate e-mail client if they already have one included with MS Windows? I looked at the RiTLabs web site which shows screen shots of "The Bat!" and lists its features. I don't see how it is that much easier to use or offers better features for the average personal e-mail user compared to MS Outlook Express. I have also previously used Lotus, Eudora, and Thunderbird e-mail clients, so I am not MS biased in my evaluation. Just to be fair though, I will download a copy of "The Bat!" and give it a try personally.

Elena wrote:

It is hard to imagine it is being used in the InternetCafe by the visitors (although the employees of the cafe may have an installed version that they use when they need it), but I see no problem with a dating agency using it. Any business can install it, why not.

Can you give any specific examples of legitimate dating agencies using "The Bat!"? Certainly it is possible they can use it, but do we know of any legitimate agencies that do indeed use it?

Also does anyone have any trustworthy friends in Russia or Ukraine who can go to an Internet Cafe and just look to see if "The Bat!" is installed on the computers and is available for customers to use it? This should be an easy thing to do, and it will answer an important question here.

Elena · Site Admin Joined: 24 Jan 2006 Posts: 1987 Location: USA

mochi wrote:

"The Bat! is a "try-before-you-buy" product. Here you can download a fully-functional copy of the software and use it for free for 30 days. You will need to register The Bat! if you decide to continue using it beyond the trial period."

So it is not free software. There is currently a $25 fee for student edition, $35 fee for home edition, or $45 fee for pro edition. However there most likely are bootleg versions available that do not require registration and/or key generators to create a fake registration.

I don't know how the rest of Russians get it, but my brother and all of my Russian friends never buy anything. The OS, MS Office, and everything that is running on their compters is usually "cracked".

When I came to visit my family a few years ago and brought my laptop with me, my friends tried to install me a couple of programs and it would not work, and they tried to look up something in my files and you should have seen an expression on their faces, one said to another, "Come here, I think it is the original licenced version of Windows This and That, do you know how to crack it so we could get into [some kind of] directory?" Then he said to me, "Sorry, we usually have it already cracked, would you like us to swipe your Windows for the cracked one, you will like it!" I told them not to crack or change anything, of course.

Also I brought a few DVDs with me to play at home, and my friends immediately took them someplace to make and distribute copies. I heard one of them saying into his phone, "You would not BELIEVE what I am looking at right now... It is a licensed LOTR1 with the original packaging!!! Bought in the USA. I AM serious! Do you still have that decoder?"

Well, you get the idea. They don't pay for anything. That's why I said it is free, but in reality I do not know how much it costs.

mochi wrote:

I am curious, why would Russians not use Outlook Express which is included free with MS Windows?

I just asked them, and they said, "Because it's MS!"
I forgot to mention, they all seem to hate MS.

Elena wrote:

Can you give any specific examples of legitimate dating agencies using "The Bat!"? Certainly it is possible they can use it, but do we know of any legitimate agencies that do indeed use it?

I do not deal with agencies, so I do not know.

Elena wrote:

Also does anyone have any trustworthy friends in Russia or Ukraine who can go to an Internet Cafe and just look to see if "The Bat!" is installed on the computers and is available for customers to use it? This should be an easy thing to do, and it will answer an important question here.

I was planning to ask that, but got distracted.

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1. I don't check my PM (Personal Messages) often. If you need my help urgently, send an email. 2. Do not send me scam reports. Post all the information you have on the forum. 3. I CANNOT upload any scam reports for you.