This message was self-deleted by its author

[SecularMotion]

This message was self-deleted by its author (SecularMotion) on Tue Nov 7, 2017, 11:28 PM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

[spixxen]

1. They have been shady for a while......

Was already allowing some ads through for companies that offered to pay up.

[matt819]

2. I have a question

Is AdBlock the same as AdBlock Plus?

[SecularMotion]

4. Here's a comparison

Both AdBlock and Adblock Plus use the same filter lists that were created for Firefox Adblock Plus. While this works fine on banners and layer-ads, blocking ads embedded in videos is not possible due to a limitation in the blocking capability of the Chrome browser. Adblock Plus has implemented a workaround to that limitation which, unfortunately, only works on Youtube.com and not on other video sites or embedded videos.

While both extensions work almost on a same level, a more detailed analysis is needed in order to find out which one of them is the better adblocker: See chart below

http://www.freewaregenius.com/adblock-v-adblock-plus-two-chrome-extensions-compared/

[RKP5637]

3. Yep, uBlock works extremely well and IMO is far better than Adblock.

https://www.ublock.org/ I used to get annoyed by Adblock and all of the clutter! I switched to uBlock when I started hearing of the Adblock shenanigans, and have never looked back.

[CurtEastPoint]

6. I always learn something on DU every day. Thank you.

[RKP5637]

17. Cats rule! No doubt created by a feline! LOL!

[CurtEastPoint]

27. Yes!!

[itsrobert]

9. Thanks

It works good, but it doesn't block cat pictures. Maybe I should invent an app/extension that blocks cutesy pictures of cats?

[RKP5637]

16. LOL!

[matt819]

55. Don't make me block you

So, some clarification please. You want an extension to block cute cat photos? Are you nuts? There's help for people like you .

[Nedsdag]

19. I just installed it.

Thank you!

[RKP5637]

20. I was amazed at how slick and clean the install was. I've never had to touch anything in uBlock.

It just simply worked with no fanfare or anything.

[Daemonaquila]

24. Thanks.

I've been using Adblock Plus for some time, but this crap is making me look for another option. And there your post was...

[matt819]

56. That's why I asked the question above

From the response given above, I think AdBlock and AdBlock Plus are two separate apps and two separate companies. I use AdBlock Plus and am very happy with it.

BTW, I use Purify for adblocking on my iphone and ipad with ios9. Works like a charm. I feel a little guilty for blocking ads, but after that article in the New York Times yesterday about delays in page loading and cost of displaying ads (by use of bandwidth), I feel less guilty. Maybe someone should build an app that allows advertisers to pay me for incurring the time and cost of loading their ads.

[Journeyman]

26. Thanks for the link. . .

[-none]

34. When Ghostery stopped working with Seamonkey, I switched to uBlock.

I stopped using Firefox because it stopped me from going to some innocuous sites for no reason I could see. Both on my Linux computer and two other Win7 computers. Version 40 broke Firefox. Version 42 finally fix the problem, but Firefox seem rather bloated and slow compared to Seamonkey.

uBlock is doing the job as it is supposed to do.

[dixiegrrrrl]

46. Same reason I went to Chromium....

FF flatly refuses to load some pages, is slow, and keeps telling me I can't use Flash.

[erronis]

40. I've been using uBlock and uMatrix also

uMatrix is much more complex but allows a lot of granularity. Some (many) sites I visit won't work without bits and pieces (frames, cdn's, google apis) to be allowed through. This does take time to fine tune but it's worth it.

I also heartily recommend Privacy Badger from eff.org (https://www.eff.org/) which is very light-weight and doesn't need much tweaking.

[RKP5637]

57. Thanks, I just added Privacy Badger!

[backscatter712]

44. Or better yet, uBlock Origin.

I'd say that uBlock Origin is the best of the adblockers - fast, efficient, not sold out to advertisers.

It's open source - it's official page is https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/ .

Or Chrome users can get it free from the Chrome Store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm

For Firefox users: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/

[RKP5637]

59. I wonder, how does uBlock Origin differ from uBlock. I just uninstalled uBlock

and installed uBlock Origin because of your suggestion, and also because of all of the + reviews for uBlock Origin.

[SecularMotion]

61. Here's an explanation from ublock.org

uBlock vs. uBlock Origin: what's the difference?

Citing frustration with the increasing volume of support and feature requests from users of uBlock, gorhill (the original developer behind uBlock) transferred ownership of the project to the current uBlock development team, composed of contributors to the original project.

Chris Aljoudi is now the lead developer of uBlock. Alex Vallat heads Firefox development, bringing uBlock to hundreds of thousands of Mozilla fans.

After transferring ownership of the uBlock project, gorhill forked uBlock into uBlock Origin, a personal fork for which he's been releasing builds and providing support via the extension's Chrome Web Store entry.

After the transfer, there were some issues regarding wording and attribution. After consulting with gorhill, this was promptly addressed and resolved — gorhill and the team are content and satisfied with the resolution.

https://www.ublock.org/faq/

[RKP5637]

62. Thanks very much!!!!!

[SecularMotion]

65. Hard to tell which is the better choice going forward.

But it's good that we have choices.

[RKP5637]

68. Yep! Definitely!!!

[cprise]

63. Interesting. I've been using Adblock Edge. eom

[Treant]

50. Thank you!

I've installed uBlock and we'll see if it works better than AdBlock did.

[PatrynXX]

5. never understood why one blocks ad's

Thats how the site gets paid.

[Betty88]

8. I block because I don't need floating,

flashing crap on on my monitor taking up processing power. On my desk top no problem but on my tablet they are distracting space hogging ads for things I will never buy.

[Starry Messenger]

10. Because it takes up precious screen space.

I also block annoyingly large and/or blinky/movey sig lines on DU.

[itsrobert]

13. Some ads that you click on accident

and it takes you a longer advertisement. I try to click on a link next to ad and sometimes I somehow hit the ad which launches a full screen commercial that goes on for about 30 seconds and than leaves me on a screen to learn more about their product. Usually a car commercial. Also, some ads trick some people into downloading bloatware you don't need.

[CharlotteVale]

23. Some ads deposit malware. Not taking a chance.

[Daemonaquila]

36. My screen, my broadband, my choice of content.

It's really that simple.

I don't care that idiots on the Internet have fallen into a "business model" that makes money for crap being shoved in your face. Their problem, not mine.

I'm going with the "invisible hand of the marketplace" theory here - it happened because people didn't fight back, it grew to the current insane excess because people didn't act fast enough, and now users are finally so fed up we're saying no more, no ads, never again.

Our prerogative.

In the top ad-blocking countries, upwards of 20% of users have ad-blocking software. 17% of Firefox users ban ads, as do 11% of Safari users, and 10% of Chrome users. It's growing fast, including in mobile browsers, for good reason.

Yep, some sites are going to go down. The majority will have to find new ways of making money. There is absolutely no problem with this. We don't need tens of thousands of sites with questionable content that exist purely because it's a way to get ad revenue. Oh noes - NaturalNews.com might go out of business! I might shed a tear - said no thinking person ever.

[erronis]

37. +100 - totally agree with your viewpoint. Weed out sites that florish on ad-clicks.

[Triana]

71. Sucks up network bandwidth. Between ads & Big Telcoms squeezing pipes then demanding more $$

I can't afford it.

Edit:

Also see comments here about ads depositing malware and users being able to decide for themselves what content they do/do not want and are willing to pay for.

Internet ads are slutty, IMO. Like streetwalkers shoving it in your face at every turn trying to get you to buy.

Nope. Not interested.

[dixiegrrrrl]

72. Those of us who donate to DU do not need a blocker here

but do for other sites, which I assume is the reason for the discussion.

[Demeter]

73. Because otherwise, the computer keeps crashing and the hard disk is trashed

I learned my lesson the hard way

[ancianita]

7. This is what globalism does -- tells consumers its actions are none of our business.

Adblock, which I use, is just another product. And the politics? Useless.

Whatever transparency laws this country has are not global. As our lawmakers see the need for global transparency, they will have tied their own hands to do anything for themselves or us if they vote up for the TPP.

Playing in another's communications sandbox will become more constricted -- technology use has shaped the rest of us more than we have shaped IT -- and we will be subject to who knows what environments by owners of our Internet uses.

The Internet should have been made a national utility by now. That it hasn't will leave end users powerless, both in content and control of info direction.

[erronis]

41. Wow, so much stuff in just a few words. I'll have to take time to digest, but...

I doubt that local/national/global transparency has much to do with AdBlock (or other forms of personal filters.)

But you may be right if something like the TPP "forbids" interfering with the delivery of paid content to the hapless user's screens. This will be a fun battle to watch since the PTB really don't have enough control (yet) to technically make this happen.

I'm not sure that our (USofA) usage hasn't already been subtly constricted. Obviously Google (et.al.) already change search results to their preferred pages. I'm ready to believe that some pages delivered may be altered through the pipeline by commercial/government interests.

Making the Internet into a national utility won't help, may cause a lot more problems. National utilities usually have to answer to government agencies. I'm assuming the FCC/NSA/ATT would have a lot of influence on these utilities.

I wish I could trust some international body (UN, SMERSH) to do the "right thing", but they are too beholden to their owners (rich nations, rich multinationals) to be given a carte blanche.

[ancianita]

43. Are you SURE the PTB can't shut down the Internet? That Adblock doesn't operate globally?

This one act is probably not the first or only one. It probably acts within a context of business practices surrounding profits from the Internet. It's one event, granted. But to me, it indicates how the rust of profit never sleeps.

How could we possibly even know that we are subtlely restricted? Would it be through the deep net?

Are you sure that, as a utility, both net highways (the ones we know of) of the Internet wouldn't be subject to public influence through governmental agencies?

Trust is always a problem in regulation. When the PTB corrupts those who run the Internet as a utility, then at least the public would have legal standing -- individually and as a class -- to detect and prosecute. It only takes one guy with a good lawyer to get cease and desist orders to the guilty corrupters who'd hijack internet systems for their benefit, something the "free" market hasn't managed to sidestep.

Given all the data collecting, surveillance, choking, hoaxing, phishing, vishing, whaling, impersonations, wireless packet analysis, cookies, header manipulations, sessions hijacking, spam and botnets now going on, governmental agencies might be all that stand between us and all the rest of the stealing going on during our online time, yes? The only organizations that I see out there looking out for the public's internet interests are the celled Anon and organizational EFF. Not enough.

I don't pretend expertise on Internet technology. I'm an end user. But I do see how technology is first and always presented as a benefit, that then always, always becomes restrictive -- often polluting and even destructive -- of users. We have knowledge of mining, manufacturing messes all around us. And we never find out the whole truth about its costs until later.

Exactly what will be this cost of this sale, is my immediate question. Because when you look at global business, it costs Americans much more than it usually costs anyone else.

[Starry Messenger]

11. This sucks.

I can start again with another blocker, but how annoying.

[RKP5637]

18. I just removed AdBlock and AdBlock Plus and installed uBlock as an extension. That

was all I did. I didn't select any filters or anything, it just simply worked. Just FYI.

[RKP5637]

60. Maybe try uBlock Origin. I had uBlock, but just switched to

uBlock Origin. ... has a lot of + reviews.

[Starry Messenger]

64. Thanks R, it will probably have to wait for the weekend, but I appreciate the tips! nt.

[NorthCarolina]

12. I have been using AdBlock Plus for Firefox

and have not received any such popup. Does this change only pertain to the Chrome/Safari version? Anyone know?

[WestSeattle2]

14. The whole "mystery buyer" thing speaks volumes. Think I'm

done with Adblock as well.

[RKP5637]

58. Same here, it's all getting weird. n/t

[PowerToThePeople]

15. Just run your on hardware firewall and local dns cache server

Why give your control away?

[onehandle]

21. Buh-Bye, Adblock.

Always had a bad feeling about them, anyway.

On edit: Installed Ublock and donated a few bucks to them.

https://www.ublock.org

[CBGLuthier]

22. Using adblocking software really is theft.

People will cry when all the websites go away because they can not make a buck. I have never used an adblocker and I never would. Content thieves disgust me.

[Daemonaquila]

25. Waaaaaaaahhhhh!

This opinion disgusts me.

[Daemonaquila]

38. I love the arrogant assumptions!

No, dear. I was on the Internet before it went public. I worked for one of the pioneering Internet providers and web development companies. I and 3 friends did a 72 hour nonstop web dev marathon to get one of the first large office products company's catalog/shopping cart systems online. I've been a professional web developer and a professional web content creator for top legal sites. I've been a legal and technical ghostwriter for leading companies and publications. I've been a project manager for several major sites and software products. I still do a web dev project when I feel like it.

So, my dear, I've been there and I've done that and I'm still doing it.

And my stance on this is informed by my work in the field. I am a creative PROFESSIONAL. Not marketing scum. Not a tech whore that creates clickbait. I know what honest work means, and where honest money comes from. Web ads and clickbait don't cut it.

[erronis]

39. I've created a lot of web content and have never justified my living by stuffing crap

on user's screens. If that's your only way of making money you deserve to be blocked.

[Kablooie]

28. When the ads cover the web page and then force you to leave to an ad site...

The only way you can read some sites is with an ad blocker.

[woundedkarma]

30. no and no

It's not content theft. What a joke. When you put a web page up, you are inviting people into your business. You display crap for them to see or articles for them to read. You are giving it away. Thinking of it in any other way is simply you not understanding what the web is or how it works. It's ignorance on your part. Not theft on someone else's part.

There are plenty of ways to change this. If you don't want people taking the stuff you set out by the curb, don't put it by the curb. Keep your trash behind a login or wall. Now if anyone touches your stuff you may have a case for theft.

People have been well aware of adblock for a few years now. There is a drop in advertising but the websites have not gone away.

This issue will force changes to the web to accommodate the consumer.

Certain websites, like DU for example, exist through donations. They certainly could not claim content theft. All the content on DU is taken from other websites or created by the users. I want DU to continue. So, hopefully starting next year when I can afford it I'll be supporting them with donations. I'd rather do that then see crappy ads for stuff I don't care about every time I go to the website.

Another thing to think about... even when I had ads splattered all over my screen, I never clicked on them.

[ancianita]

47. Good for you. BUT.The majority of Internet users don't know what you know.

I tried to systematically train cautious clicking and web site critiqueing with my students during their research project time in high school, but their friends and families still constantly fell for clickbait. Their computer use suffered, and Geek Squad makes millions from "helping" these kinds of uninformed people.

Adblock has been a help to them. How it will be going forward... I guess we'll find out. But this thread doesn't cheer me about any kind of end user ad blocks.

[-none]

35. It is MY bandwidth I am paying for and MY computer.

I don't want to see any time wasting, useless ads for stuff I will never buy.

[corkhead]

54. If they were less intrusive I wouldn't have a problem with ads, but taking a flashing blinking

dump at my virtual doorstep I find to be exceedingly annoying. people like me are "stealing" because of it.

[Demeter]

74. theft? it's litter prevention

the viewer is having precious time and resources stolen without consent.

[workinclasszero]

31. Thanks for that link! /nt

[workinclasszero]

32. Ads can come with a virus attached

Another great reason to block ads.

[LovingA2andMI]

33. Goodbye Adblock!

Hello UBlock. Adblock will soon be going the way of the dogs with this sell.

[ancianita]

49. Are you sure this is what you want?

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock/epcnnfbjfcgphgdmggkamkmgojdagdnn?hl=en-US

[NBachers]

42. I donated 15 bucks. I clicked the download button. I got a Ublock page with no link to download.

I also got an advertising page for Chrome apps. I searched for Ublock on the Chrome app page and it led me back to the original Ublock page with no download button. I've been through this over and over, and I don't see any way to download. Clicking Download on the link you posted just starts the whole cycle over again.

This isn't starting out very well.

[SecularMotion]

45. Try this link

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock/epcnnfbjfcgphgdmggkamkmgojdagdnn?hl=en-US

If the link works, just click on "Add to Chrome"

[ancianita]

48. It says: "Ublock "can read and change all your data on the websites you visit." Also, "Read your

browsing history."

Is this what we should want??

[jeff47]

51. How would it block ads if it couldn't change the data on the websites you visit?

The website says "load this ad". To stop that, ublock has to change the data.

[ancianita]

52. I figured it was me being stupid, but I had to ask. Thank you. I'll use it, then.

[ancianita]

53. Got it. Thanks for the help.

[Stand and Fight]

66. Uninstalled AdBlock & Installed uBlock

Mystery buyer? No thanks, Jeff. Sounds like whoever bought it will end up just adding in a bunch of crap adds to whomever agrees to pay to be on that white list.

[WestSeattle2]

67. I just did the same. "Mystery Buyer" meet "Vanishing Users"

[d_legendary1]

69. Booking this for later.

Gonna get rid of my adblock.

[Princess Turandot]

70. To disable the ads in Adblock, if you still wish to use it....

Right click on the Adblock icon (a red hexagon with a hand in the middle) to the right of the url/address box in your browser, and select "Options'. In the General Options category, un-check 'Allow some non-intrusive advertising'. Those instructions came with the message announcing the change.

[mnhtnbb]

75. My son--my IT guy--installed uBlock on my new laptop that runs Linux Mint

I LOVE it. It is so pleasant not to be followed around by advertising!

It is fierce, though. I've had to unblock it for a couple of sites in order to proceed with
getting access.