Adblocker?
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@LordOfTheNet1 I suspect in many cases you may be right there; though it may also be a case of developers wishing to encourage their users to exercise caution; as extension conflicts, particularly where extensions provide similar or related functionality, can and do happen. That being said, people's mileages can vary. If your setup works for you, then more power to you - after all, isn't that the point of Vivaldi?
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https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/41701/adblocker/15
@LordOfTheNet1 said in Adblocker?:
@bonetone actually there is no real need to go through the advance settings, the defaults do work just fine. never use two from the same company. adblock plus and ublock origin work great together.
Well, a couple of things, unlike AdBlock Plus, uBlock Origin is not from a company -- it's an open source project by a guy who just enjoys writing the code for it. AdBlolock Plus on the other hand has a profit motive, which is why their extension (and the plain old uBlock (no Origin) which they also now own) come with certain ads whitelisted by default. If one is using uBlock Origin, AdBlock Plus is just redundant and unnecessary.
With respect to running 2 at the same time, uBlock Origin and AdBlock Plus are basically the same, except that ABP is a subset of UBO which has additional useful functionality. When it comes to running uBlock Origin and uMatrix together, they were actually unified as one extension at first called HTTPSwitchboard.
The developer split them for several reasons, among them the two extensions use different approaches to blocking so functionally it made sense to separate them. It's not unlike running a firewall together with an executable monitor like anti-malware software. They could have been kept together as one extension, but that would also have presented a greater barrier to novice users.
I think the current paradigm works well. Someone looking for an extension similar to AdBlock Plus that doesn't have a corporate profit motive behind it and does not have "acceptable ads" determined by the developer can use uBlock Origin. People who want even greater control over the traffic leaving their browser can also run uMatrix. It meets the needs of many different types of users. For some, the defaults aren't enough.
@LordOfTheNet1 said in Adblocker?:
@Crimsonshade i've been running it this way for years without issue. more likely the ublock devs are trying to push their program at the expence of others. almost all security software makers make this kind of claim and it typically never is true.
There is only one dev, singular. And the whole at the expense of others logic makes no sense considering the dev even refuses to accept donations. He's not doing this for any financial gain whatsoever; he does it because he enjoys the programming and he shares it because he thinks it's worthwhile to give people control over what content is displayed in their browser, and over where their personal information gets sent.
The reasons to not run ABP together with UBO are:
• Other than the developer-selected acceptable ads whitelist, UBO can do anything ABP can.
• Such redundancy means it's wasted resources to run both.
• Having additional extensions installed, especially an unconventional combination like this, increases the uniqueness of your fingerprint and thus the ability for you to be tracked online.I hope this clears up any confusion one might have on the matter.
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@LordOfTheNet1 said in Adblocker?:
awful long post to try to bs me and others. as i've stated before ublock catches things adblock plus doesn't and adblock catch things ublock doesn't. keep you bs to yourself and don't respond to me again.
Oh please. I'm not trying to bs anyone. What specifically does ADP catch that UBO does not? There are 2 reasons I can see that ADP would catch it and UBO wouldn't. Since you're running redundant extensions, one of them is going to execute first depending on which the browser calls. This doesn't mean the other would not have caught it. The other reason being you have one configured such that it isn't filtering for what the other is configured to filter.
AdBlock Plus filter syntax is supported by uBlock Origin, which has also extended that syntax. Almost any filter that a person creates for themselves can be used by either extension. Except that the extended syntax UBO has implemented won't work in ABP, and the parts of the syntax that are for ADP's "acceptable" ads is not supported by UBO.
uBlock Origin comes with many filter lists available in the settings, it only requires checking the box next to it to enable. Furthermore, any additional filter lists that a user wants can be easily added.
It's important to understand that there isn't anything special that either extension is doing that makes it better at identifying what to block. All that is determined by the filter lists, which the developer is quick to point out in his explanation of why he doesn't accept donations, wants users to think of the people who maintain those lists instead. The default difference between the two extensions is that uBlock Origin comes with more filter lists and does *not* come with a default ads whitelist. One thing is certain, all those whitelisted ads AdBlock Plus does not block by default. Whether one extension or the other will block anything is only a matter of which filters are enabled, and that's up to the user to decide what s/he wants to block or allow.
Finally, I'll reply to any thread where I want to contribute what I believe is useful information, and you are free to do the same. You're new here, we don't go around attacking people telling them where it's acceptable for them to post, this is a public forum not a personal blog, nor do we fly off the handle calling what they say bs. If you don't like what I say, you don't have to reply, but your free to do so within the code of conduct set by the admins. You'll find this place a welcoming community if you engage the material, and correct any incorrect information respectfully instead of resorting to personal attacks on your 8th day here.
If you have technical details about what one extension is catching but the other isn't, that is definitely welcomed information. I would suspect it's merely a matter of configuring the extension correctly, except for the places where UBO has extended the syntax. But a calm & reasoned technical discussion is what I'm looking for.
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nano Adblocker includes all of the uBlock filters and a lot of others
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@bonetone said in Adblocker?:
You're new here
he's not, he's being banned multiple times for his bad attitude and language and just creates new accounts to continue with no changes to offend people freely.
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@bonetone , it is simple, if an adblocker is good and effective, another is not needed, it is like to put 2 nails in the wall, one next to other, to hang a picture.
All good adblockers use the same filters and if necessary, allow to import more. -
Ublock Origin is good. For the longest time I was an Adblock Plus fan (from almost day one on Firefox back). It used to work fine there, but on Chrome, it is not so good now, it is acceptable, but things get through from time to time. So I swapped to Ublock for a change, and I have zero complaints, not even the sniff of an advert.... So far.
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Ublock origin is the best all purpose blocker at the moment.Not just ads but scripts also.
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@Priest72 uBO is very good, but her big sister is better yet... uMatrix [after one's learning curve is over].
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@Steffie said in Adblocker?:
@Priest72 uBO is very good, but her big sister is better yet... uMatrix [after one's learning curve is over].
yea i found umatrix to be more cumbersome or perhaps i am just impatient.?..
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@Priest72 I feel it's fair to call it initially "cumbersome" as you did, before one has had the chance to learn its ways & grasp how best to utilise its finely granular power. Hint: i was a uBO user/fan for many years, before i decided a few years back to investigate uM. Pls believe me when i say that my initial forays were less than impressive; i think i was a pretty dimwitted pupil. Like so many things though, improvement comes with practice & familiarity.
My uM custom rules list is simply giinormous, given it grows incrementally over time, each time i calibrate filters for some new website. My global settings in it disable JS & cookies, mixed-content & web-workers. Consequently i always feel comparatively safe anytime i land on some new website, as most potential nasties are disabled from the start. This strength [in my eyes] will be a glaring weakness in new users' eyes because it means that initially some/many sites either don't work properly, or sometimes even at all, until you finesse the myriad uM filters to suit that individual site.
uM is most definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but for those who like detail & fine control, it's just so cool. If i wasn't using uM i would definitely return to uBO coz it is also excellent.
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@Steffie
I'd like an ad blocker that doesn't require me to tinker with it. I am not one of > those who like detail & fine control < ;-))I was an ABP user for years, but did not install it when I switched to Vivaldi for two reasons:
- I was sick of ABP's constant nagging for "donations" and
- I switched to Vivaldi b/c I thought I wouldn't need so much add-on protection.
Any suggestions for one who doesn't want to invest a lot of time on a learning curve for something I want to just run?
I have zero knowledge of CSS and/or JavaScript and don't care to learn them.
I'm not lazy or dim-witted. I've been fine-tuning these things since Windows 3.1 and I'm just TIRED OF IT!
("These things" meaning anything I want to install and run without a lot of hassle.) -
@rosemck said in Adblocker?:
Any suggestions for one who doesn't want to invest a lot of time on a learning curve for something I want to just run?
uBlock Origin - in default settings it is very similar to ABP, with a few more filter lists enabled by default I think. You'll get a very similar experience, meaning a similar level of site breaking (or not breakage) and similar, probably slightly better protection. It offers the ability to lock it down further, but the more powerful settings are actually hidden from users by default, keeping the usage more simple (you would have to enable a checkbox to get to the more complex "tinkering" options/features).
You'll certainly get no nagging for donations. In fact, the developer actively refuses donations -- you couldn't give to him if you wanted. Instead he suggests that people donate to the filter list maintainers, as pretty much every ad blocker in existence is reliant upon them to work, and maintaining them is a constant, never-ending process.
Note: Just be certain you install *uBlock Origin*, not just plain "uBlock". It's a long story, but ABP actually owns uBlock now. uBlock Origin is the open source project created & maintained by the original developer of uBlock as well. It is completely free (as described above), and completely free of any malware.
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@BoneTone
Thank you. I had gotten the impression that UBO was one that required scripting. It looks good to me, and I'll jump right on it. ;-)) -
@rosemck nope, no scripting required. UBO does have the ability to block scripts with the click of one icon on it's extension popup; I I have it set to block scripting by default and only enable it for trusted sites. It also does this thing where it injects dummy scripts into the page in place of tracking scripts, so the site continues to work without tracking taking place. I'm not sure if that's part of the default settings or a more hardened configuration, but again, to make use of it you don't have to know an anything about scripting.
Although you don't want to deal with tinkering your ad blocker, I still suggest that you take some time to read at least some of the wiki. The extension is well documented on it's GitHub page, to reduce costs and because he doesn't want to deal with being a site admin, there is no official website; he just enjoys coding the thing and shares it because he believes people should have this kind of control over their computers. A good place to start would be the page explaining the extension's popup: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Quick-guide:-popup-user-interface
Over time, you'll grow more comfortable with it, and through experience and reading the wiki you can slowly increase the blocking to the level you want. The more you block, the more you protect your privacy & security. For sites you trust & visit regularly, you create exceptions so they work normally and don't require adjustments every visit. It's only sites that I've never visited that require me to do any tinkering with UBO & UM, after the first visit I don't have to do that again (usually).
Nobody else is going to take responsibility for protecting your information or technology, it's all up to you what level of convenience you're willing to trade for protection. I will say that the convenience loss diminishes as you become proficient with the tools you use to protect yourself.
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@rosemck Clearly @BoneTone has provided you with excellent info, so all i can do is add my agreement. My view is simply:
- For the micro-managing control-freak tinkerers -- use uMatrix.
- For those wanting a balance of control & automation -- use uBO in Expert Mode.
- For those wanting protection sans-manual effort -- use uBO in default mode.
Gorhill's two products here are simply superb.
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@Steffie said in Adblocker?:
@rosemck Clearly @BoneTone has provided you with excellent info, so all i can do is add my agreement. My view is simply:
- For the micro-managing control-freak tinkerers -- use uMatrix.
- For those wanting a balance of control & automation -- use uBO in Expert Mode.
- For those wanting protection sans-manual effort -- use uBO in default mode.
Gorhill's two products here are simply superb.
Thanks, and I'll add one more line item:
- For the ultimate in control & protection, use both uBlock Origin & uMatrix -- and use a default deny/allow exceptionally configuration. When set up properly, they work very well together with little to no overlap, and there are things that UBO can do which UM cannot (and vice versa of course). In fact, the two of them used to be combined in one extension called HTTPSwitchboard; gorhill split them up for several reasons, one being that the matrix does intimidate some people into thinking it is complicated, while UBO works with ABP filter syntax (which has been extended by UBO) so it is familiar to users of other ad blockers.
Personally, I find the matrix (and the rules it represents) a breeze to use, and less complicated than the UBO interface (and the filters it represents). Gorhill has tried to simplify the UI recently, hiding the allow filter column behind another setting separate from the advanced users checkbox. Even "advanced" users were using allow filters far too often when they should have been using noop filters. Which illustrates a point I often make that people think UBO is simpler because they don't really understand it, specifically how noop filters differ from allow filters, and why you should typically use them and avoid the use of allow filters as much as possible.
Now you have to work a little harder to make allow filters, to be certain you actually want/need them. This doesn't fix existing filters, so longtimer users who may not fully understand what I wrote in the previous paragraph probably want to review the filters they've created over time, change allow filters to noop, and only revert them back to allow if things break again.
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@BoneTone said in Adblocker?:
HTTPSwitchboard
Excellent advice. Haha, ooh i still cringe in embarrassment over that older one. Back then i had no clue how to drive it, & essentially it became in my incompetent hands a brilliant Internet Kill Switch. Once available i fled to uBO & loved it for years, then some years back decided to force myself to learn uMatrix. Once the penny dropped i simply could not NOT use it as my new default [in my case supplanting not supplementing uBO, which i keep installed but disabled, occasionally reenabling it to keep in touch with gorhill's progress].
@BoneTone said in Adblocker?:
use a default deny/allow exceptionally configuration
This... this! Once i realised in uM that i could set a global default of no JS, no cookies, no media, no xhr, no frames, no other, i felt an exultant sense of liberty. Though undeniably it took ages to progressively tune uM to each of my regular sites to gain requisite functionality with minimum exceptions, for ever after [mostly, save for occasional times their web-devs make some important design change] everything simply just works sans-input from me, & i know i am as safe as practically possible. For each new-to-me site, i now have a systematised procedure to open up just enough exceptions to gain minimal functionality. If i decide the site is worth bookmarking then i'll continue to tweak, otherwise, simply move on. I just luuuuuurve uM.
@BoneTone said in Adblocker?:
Personally, I find the matrix (and the rules it represents) a breeze to use, and less complicated than the UBO interface (and the filters it represents).
Ditto with bells on.
@BoneTone said in Adblocker?:
review the filters they've created over time, change allow filters to noop, and only revert them back to allow if things break again
Another ditto with bells on. A few weeks ago i spent a day with uM disabled, uBO reenabled, imported its backed up settings from years ago, then cringed at all my green rather than grey cells... hence chose to put in the time fixing it all up [blush]. However, despite finding some aspects of the uBO UI preferable to uM's, i simply cannot abide using it instead of uM coz there's ~3 of my regular sites that i simply cannot adequately control with it, which work brilliantly in uM coz of its unbeatable dynamic filter matrix granularity.
Oh, btw... i laugh each time i compare the memory use of uBO vs uM ... ratio of ~4:1, so the one with the much better control also needs least resources... cake AND eat.
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@rosemck well shoot, I might as well provide a few more links to some of the more important wiki pages. uBlock Origin is far more than an ad blocker, and there are correspondingly more will pages in the documentation. Here are some of the basic ones, plus a few relevant to it's advanced usage just because, well, it's important in my view.
Dashboard
Settings
Filter lists
Filter lists from around the web
My filters
Static filter syntax
My rules
Advanced
Dynamic filtering
Dynamic filtering quick guide
Dynamic filtering precedence
Dynamic filtering rule syntax
Blocking mode contains settings collections as starting points for various levels of protection & ease of use
The logger is a crucial tool for determining why a site is broken and how to fix it
Element picker allows cosmetic blocking of annoying elements on the page
Element zapper similar to above, but temporary
Overview of the network filtering engine to understand how filters resolve conflicts, which takes precedence
Does uBlock Origin block ads or just hide them?
Troubleshooting -
@Steffie said in Adblocker?:
a brilliant Internet Kill Switch.
Haha, yeah. I won't deny that in order to use these tools well there is a learning curve. One which after you reach a certain level of understanding and proficiency, you probably want to blow away your filters & rules because you have a better approach now. Hiding the allow column may eliminate that for new users.
Though undeniably it took ages to progressively tune uM to each of my regular sites to gain requisite functionality with minimum exceptions
True, but after a few sites, that process only takes ~10 seconds. Perhaps a little longer if several refreshes a required to expose all the network requests the site tries to make as it gets more permissions.
For each new-to-me site, i now have a systematised procedure to open up just enough exceptions to gain minimal functionality. If i decide the site is worth bookmarking then i'll continue to tweak, otherwise, simply move on. I just luuuuuurve uM.
Yup, depending on the site, I have a handful of switches that I may or may not toggle. Or if its crap I cam just close the tab knowing it and none of its associated third parties had any chance to track me. Default deny prevents any connections whatsoever to tracking servers, and they can't track what they never even know exists. The only thing that site knows is whatever internet-facing IP address I'm using requested a web page -- it got no cookies, it ran no scripts, it used no remote fonts. It didn't even get to load images or stylesheets.
Another ditto with bells on. A few weeks ago i spent a day with uM disabled, uBO reenabled, imported its backed up settings from years ago, then cringed at all my green rather than grey cells... hence chose to put in the time fixing it all up [blush].
Yeah, I did the thing I described above. After 2 months or so, I just deleted everything I had created and started in default deny from scratch, and only used allow/green whenever noop didn't work. And even then, if it didn't take too long, I would not do it in the main UI, but through the logger and only allow specific resources by name rather than entire domains/servers.
However, despite finding some aspects of the uBO UI preferable to uM's, i simply cannot abide using it instead of uM coz there's ~3 of my regular sites that i simply cannot adequately control with it, which work brilliantly in uM coz of its unbeatable dynamic filter matrix granularity.
I am the tech support for my family and close friends. I have set several people up with these extensions, and so I personally run both of them in full lockdown, default deny configurations -- requiring me to create complete rule/filter sets in both in order for a site to work as desired. (I don't say fully, because I'm ok with a certain amount of "breakage" as long as everything I want or need is available.) This allows me to export my rule & filter sets and import them into whichever extension someone prefers. If they run both, I configure them without duplicate blocking and place the most control where they want it.
Oh, btw... i laugh each time i compare the memory use of uBO vs uM ... ratio of ~4:1, so the one with the much better control also needs least resources... cake AND eat.
It's cool to see someone else remembers the days of HTTPSwitchboard, and has grown along with these tools. Little else available lacks a profit motive and also provides the power of UM & UBO. There are some derivatives which save a little on initial configuration, but I personally see little reason to run them. After you're set up properly, you're just delaying picking up upstream changes from gorhill. I haven't seen any with compelling additional features that have persuaded me to change. Though I still applaud the efforts and am thankful for the existence for when gorhill decides his hobby has come to an end, or heaven-forbid the unspeakable. For now, these are quite simply the best tools available for blocking ads & trackers, and they eliminate the need for highly flawed, perhaps detrimental, spoofing extensions.