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Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

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Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#221

Post by TheCapeGreek »

asats wrote: post #94
TheCapeGreek wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep Instagram to keep in touch with friends abroad. I keep Facebook because certain communities and events only happen there. For some of us, it is plain better to only block short form video.

Both of those things could be solved by just talking to people, and talking to people does not require you to use addiction machines. I keep in touch with my friends abroad by emailing them when I think about them, and I get long form responses on what they are up to, not whatever is the public image filtered stuff that they may or may not be posting somewhere.

Everyone has their own strategy.

Why is it so difficult for half the people replying in this Show HN to accept that some people still want to use social media as social media and not just throw all of it out?

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#222

Post by szundi »

habosa wrote: post #206

So I only use Instagram for the DMs with friends. I don’t follow anyone at all, so my feed should be empty. For years it was. Then at some point Instagram decided I must not know what I want, they should show me recommended posts from random accounts. There’s a setting to turn this off … but instead of being a normal toggle I can only “snooze” the posts for 30 days. 30 days of peace and then the spam comes back. No m…

[dead]

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#223

Post by SchemaLoad »

coffeecoders wrote: post #187
SchemaLoad wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Youtube is more problematic. I have it installed for music but you have to actively remember to not get sucked in to shorts. Feeling like legally they should be forced to split out shorts from the main app.

There is Youtube music (a separate app) just for that!

I mostly listen to DJ set recordings and it's basically random luck if the youtube music app has them

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#224

Post by internet_points »

habosa wrote: post #206

So I only use Instagram for the DMs with friends. I don’t follow anyone at all, so my feed should be empty. For years it was. Then at some point Instagram decided I must not know what I want, they should show me recommended posts from random accounts. There’s a setting to turn this off … but instead of being a normal toggle I can only “snooze” the posts for 30 days. 30 days of peace and then the spam comes back. No m…

Is there any account that just shows boring stuff every day? Because now it says when I snooze that I won't see recommended posts unless I've scrolled past my friends' posts. So it seems I need to follow something that I'm totally uninterested in (I'm thinking gray boxes of unvarying sizes would be good), and that posts quite often.

OOh I found a use for AI slop! Getting me off instagram!

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#227

Post by nkydr0i0 »

herf wrote: post #173

Thank you for doing this - I think there are two lines in the sand that a true "user agent" would allow us to set: 1. Don't show recommended content at all--I want to view only the content I've specifically asked for (or searched for) in this session 2. Recommend only content that I've chosen (e.g., by following), where there is a finite amount of it You'd like such things to be part of the basic wiring of your devic…

I agree.

Think of willpower as a finite resource. It's simply not feasible to rely on it solely. You need to build the world you want to live in. (Set yourself up for success)

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#228

Post by internet_points »

mrweasel wrote: post #74
semitones wrote: post #40

I already deleted the apps, and I mostly use Instagram and youtube in the browser. Any support for blocking reels in browser?

Don't know about reels, but there's "Unhook" for Firefox which will hide Shorts and recommendations on YouTube.

OMG thank you, unhook solves my biggest issue with youtube: whenever I would click pause to look closely at a slide, there's a bunch of huge recommendations that block the screen (I mean what kind of depraved mind comes up with something as user-unfriendly as that "oh you wanted to pause the video it's probably because you wanted to be distracted into watching something else in the middle of it, not because you actually had your own reason for pausing it, let me throw up these unrelated links at your face")

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#229

Post by internet_points »

adrianhacar wrote: post #217
ugh123 wrote: post #168

I would love to be able to do this at the router level (to block on all my kid's devices). and/or block just youtube traffic (via app, websites, etc)

This might be useful for you: https://pi-hole.net/ . You can set your own DNS server at home and block specific domains

it's kind of either-or though, I don't think you can block only suggested crap without blocking your friends' posts (and without blocking the ability for yourself to use IG for journalling or whatever)

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#230

Post by internet_points »

source99 wrote: post #170

I would love to build a small physical device at my home wifi router level that detects these network patterns (certain IP addresses and data patterns). Then blocks those network streams. I think the correct fix is to intermittently block them so that the user gets a small drip and don't realize its broken so they don't try to find a workaround like turning off wifi.

I would definitely `opkg install slow_drip_instagram` on my router :-D
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