Adblocker?
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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?
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@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.
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@BoneTone said in Adblocker?:
someone else remembers the days of HTTPSwitchboard, and has grown along with these tools
How very dare you be sooooo rude as to blatantly state that i am older than trilobites!
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