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Show HN: Dull – Instagram Without Reels, YouTube Without Shorts (iOS)

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Re: Show HN: Dull – Instagram Without Reels, YouTube Without Shorts (iOS)

#11

Post by danpalmer »

buzzerbetrayed wrote: post #8
danpalmer wrote: post #4

Doing this as a browser extension is one thing, but selling an interface to Instagram and YouTube sounds like it's very risky. What's your basis for thinking this will work long term? I see you're selling yearly or lifetime subscriptions, suggesting you think the product can exist. There have been many attempts at this in the past that have been taken down, why is Dull different?

Why wouldn’t making a paid web browser be legal?

Obviously it isn't, but also obviously: this isn't a web browser in anything but technical implementation. It's a packaged, sold, interface to a proprietary service with a set of T&Cs that they are free to enforce.

Also every single one of these that I've seen before has fallen down in the same way. Chat apps that embed Facebook, third party YouTube viewer for Apple's VR headset, various other third party Instagram apps, etc.

Re: Show HN: Dull – Instagram Without Reels, YouTube Without Shorts (iOS)

#13

Post by sidrag22 »

joenot443 wrote: post #6

How does your system differ from an extension like this? https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/remove-youtube-shor...

On firefox i use unhook for youtube. solves the shorts issue but im sure a lot of people would be less okay with what i prefer youtube to be, a search bar with nothing else.

Re: Show HN: Dull – Instagram Without Reels, YouTube Without Shorts (iOS)

#14

Post by Gigachad »

buzzerbetrayed wrote: post #8
danpalmer wrote: post #4

Doing this as a browser extension is one thing, but selling an interface to Instagram and YouTube sounds like it's very risky. What's your basis for thinking this will work long term? I see you're selling yearly or lifetime subscriptions, suggesting you think the product can exist. There have been many attempts at this in the past that have been taken down, why is Dull different?

Why wouldn’t making a paid web browser be legal?

Even if it is legal, meta and google will just block you from accessing the service.

Re: Show HN: Dull – Instagram Without Reels, YouTube Without Shorts (iOS)

#16

Post by Gigachad »

convexly wrote: post #5

The fact that someone had to build a separate app just to get the version of Instagram from 5 years ago says a lot.

I hate how we have bundled useful things alongside addiction building media. It’s like if supermarkets had drugs next to the vegetables.

You can’t just leave your phone at home because you need it to 2FA at work or maps. But then you end up scrolling shorts and other junk.

Re: Show HN: Dull – Instagram Without Reels, YouTube Without Shorts (iOS)

#17

Post by princevegeta89 »

bryanhogan wrote: post #3

Sounds like a good project, I also hate that Instagram pushes algorithm-driven content into your face everywhere without any options to turn it off, it's good to fight against these toxic dark design patterns. Can also recommend using Instagram with the IGPlus web extension. Or for a native Android version there's also DFinstagram. For YouTube there are many web extensions as well. On Android the YouTube ReVanced pat…

Well, you don't even have to fight these patterns or these apps

Just stop using these stupid apps overall. 95% of the content you find on them is useless. And today, a staggering amount of content is also fake AI crap. Save your sanity and time and remove these apps.

Re: Show HN: Dull – Instagram Without Reels, YouTube Without Shorts (iOS)

#18

Post by iugtmkbdfil834 »

nslsm wrote: post #15
Gigachad wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if it is legal, meta and google will just block you from accessing the service.

How?

Like most things.. it is a cat and mouse game dependent on how heavily they believe their revenue could be impacted. I am not sure why you think either of those corporates would have a problem of banning individual users, who are only suspected based on the app signature..

Re: Show HN: Dull – Instagram Without Reels, YouTube Without Shorts (iOS)

#19

Post by danpalmer »

nslsm wrote: post #15
Gigachad wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if it is legal, meta and google will just block you from accessing the service.

How?

I can't tell if this is a good faith question, but in the interests of good discussion, there are many ways they can do this. Technical solutions include blocking the user agent, blocking request patterns, client-side feature detection, client-side attestation, but importantly they are not limited to technical solutions, there are also things like cease and desist letters, breaches of contracts, pressure on the software distributors, lawsuits.

This is no judgement of whether these are the steps they might take, or whether they would be right in doing so, I want to remain neutral on this. But I would point again to the many instances of things like this happening in the past.

Re: Show HN: Dull – Instagram Without Reels, YouTube Without Shorts (iOS)

#20

Post by bonyt »

For YouTube, I've used it in Safari on iOS for a while with UnTrap for YouTube that lets you disable short[1]. On desktop, a uBlock origin filter works[2].

[1]: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/untrap-for-youtube/id163743805...

[2]: https://github.com/i5heu/ublock-hide-yt-shorts

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