Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS • Hacker News Board

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#201

Post by patmcc » Tue, Dec 08, 2015, 6:35 PM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #118

profmonocle wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. I used this a few times back when I did App Store development. (Though it still takes a few hours to show up for everyone, at least as of a few years ago.)

Still does. Apple continues to completely fail at any sort of distributed system. It amazes me that Google is able to index the entire web so quickly that I can post a comment on a random web site and have it show up in search results two minutes later, while Apple takes hours and hours for something to show up in their store after you push a button on their own control panel.

Google has the same problem; submit changes to a Play Store listing (or a new version) and it takes a couple hours to be universally visible. So it's not an Apple vs Google issue.

Source: I've done far too many app deployments for work (200+)

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#202

Post by byoogle » Tue, Dec 08, 2015, 6:36 PM UTC

splouk wrote: post #198

byoogle wrote: post #196

As the original developer of Disconnect, on which Focus’s blocking is said to be based, I (with my development team) created a new, open-source ad blocker for Chrome, Opera, and iOS called Adblock Fast ( http://adblockfast.com/ and https://github.com/rocketshipapps/adblockfast on GitHub) because I think Disconnect became abandonware after I left the project a year and a half ago – there was one commit made to Disconn…

Is there any reason I should switch to this from AdBlock Plus? Edit: I see the chart comparing the two on your github page. Are you planning a firefox version?

Yes, see the benchmarks and last FAQ on http://adblockfast.com/.

Edit: Yes to Firefox as well, see https://github.com/rocketshipapps/adblockfast/issues/23 for timeline.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#203

Post by sp332 » Tue, Dec 08, 2015, 6:37 PM UTC

srameshc wrote: post #153

sp332 wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But isn't that the same question? If ads make enough money, then they're "effective". If they don't, they're not.

What is not enough money for you could be enough money for someone else. It is hardly a basis for anyone to judge other's judgement.

Of course. So we can't possibly answer your question. Maybe they will be killed and maybe they won't.

But my point is, it's not Apple's fault at all. It's also hardly the fault of the ad blockers. It's all due to the users who intentionally install them and use them for their browsing. It's the users who are making the decision to block ads.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#204

Post by 0x38B » Tue, Dec 08, 2015, 6:37 PM UTC

RKearney wrote: post #104

edd wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any reason you're not supporting the iPhone 5 or 5C? Is there something you need which they don't support?

The 5 and 5C do not have 64 bit processors, which is a requirement for Content Blockers.

Content blockers seem to work on 32-bit devices if you compile for them:

"Yes, but I'd guess it's an arbitrary limitation—at least it seems to be for A6 devices. BlockParty works perfectly on my iPhone 5C and apparently on @wadetregaskis' iPhone 5, both of which are 32 bit A6 (and not officially supported). I get all the relevant menus, and it does block ads (even the huge easylist conversion works, albeit poorly)." [1]

1: https://github.com/krishkumar/BlockParty/issues/9#issuecomme...

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#205

Post by blub » Tue, Dec 08, 2015, 6:40 PM UTC

byoogle wrote: post #196

As the original developer of Disconnect, on which Focus’s blocking is said to be based, I (with my development team) created a new, open-source ad blocker for Chrome, Opera, and iOS called Adblock Fast ( http://adblockfast.com/ and https://github.com/rocketshipapps/adblockfast on GitHub) because I think Disconnect became abandonware after I left the project a year and a half ago – there was one commit made to Disconn…

Erm, are we talking here about the same disconnect which offers paid VPN services on iOS & Android and a free content blocking extension for Safari iOS?

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#206

Post by byoogle » Tue, Dec 08, 2015, 6:46 PM UTC

blub wrote: post #205

byoogle wrote: post #196

As the original developer of Disconnect, on which Focus’s blocking is said to be based, I (with my development team) created a new, open-source ad blocker for Chrome, Opera, and iOS called Adblock Fast ( http://adblockfast.com/ and https://github.com/rocketshipapps/adblockfast on GitHub) because I think Disconnect became abandonware after I left the project a year and a half ago – there was one commit made to Disconn…

Erm, are we talking here about the same disconnect which offers paid VPN services on iOS & Android and a free content blocking extension for Safari iOS?

I linked to Disconnect’s apparently abandoned open-source project (https://github.com/disconnectme/disconnect), which I presume is the basis of Focus’s blocking.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#207

Post by vishaldpatel » Tue, Dec 08, 2015, 6:47 PM UTC

This is awesome! If there was a similar blocker for Mac, I'd totally use it. Although, I'm not sure why it is called "Focus".

But hey, this way I can share my Firefox plugin called Focus ( https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/focus-by-caba... ) - it lets you block websites so you can focus on your work :). Also available for Chrome ( https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/focus-by-cabana-la... ) =)

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#208

Post by profeta » Tue, Dec 08, 2015, 6:53 PM UTC

Spending so much time on a platform that you have no control and is sure to undermine you is a waste of open source project resources. Specially one that is handled indirectly such as mozilla nowadays.

if it were users submitting patches or bugreports, by all means! Spend all the time in the world to make your IOS experience better. But people donate, and the people living off that money choose arbitrarily to spend those resources on IOS, that is just plain irresponsible.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#209

Post by profeta » Tue, Dec 08, 2015, 6:56 PM UTC

newscracker wrote: post #113

mikeash wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's the two-word summary of why I'd want to use this app over one of the other content blockers?

Again, can't sum up in two words, but can sum it up in two points. This would be better because: * It's by Mozilla, and it's more likely (probability wise) to be maintained and kept up-to-date than those that happen to be a single person's hobby project. * I believe that big players in the web like Mozilla and EFF (eff.org) really fight for us, the common people. :) The more these things become popular, especially fr…

what about besides "known household name"? any technical merit? anything you know you do better than the alternative, for a fact?

and in the process of fairness, any other blocker doing anything better that you plan to add to yours?

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#210

Post by CaptSpify » Tue, Dec 08, 2015, 7:00 PM UTC

oldmanjay wrote: post #182

CaptSpify wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just like the grandparent spread the word about his browser preferences....?

it seems nearly impossible to believe that you honestly feel that the OP and the reply are talking about the same topic. One is discussing experiences with the platform discussed in the article, and one is the "I don't even have a tv" comment in another guise. In case it isn't clear to you, "I don't even have a tv" doesn't contribute anything to the conversation.

It seems nearly impossible to believe that you don't think they are talking about the same topic. One is discussing a platform, and the other is stating why he won't use that platform. I respectfully disagree that it's not contributing.