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Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

blog.mozilla.org

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Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#241

Post by rockdoe »

oneJob wrote: post #127
bovermyer wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like you might best be served by writing your own web browser, so you can be absolutely certain it won't track you.

Yeah, totally good idea. No idea why I didn't just think of that rather than hold Mozilla accountable to living up to their stated mission.

Data capture including things like telemetry or monitoring user adoption (does everyone on a specific HW config suddenly stop using the product?) is essential in being able to develop a product on a large scale that Actually Works. All of those things can be disabled in Firefox and they go to great lengths to explain what is tracked and how to disable it.

I'm pretty sure that keeping the product usable and working is part of their mission too.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#242

Post by adrusi »

sp332 wrote: post #60
falcolas wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it blocks ads just fine. In Safari? Working as intended. In Chrome or Firefox? Unexpected (according to their link).

If the ad blocking is built-in to the browser, it should work fine. It's the new content-blocking plugins that only work in Safari.

Apple doesn't let custom browsers use anything other than their WebView component for rendering, and WebViews are pretty limited when it comes to modifying page content.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#243

Post by pkaler »

golergka wrote: post #185
st3fan wrote: post #54

We just pushed the button on stage at the Mozilla All-hands. It should by live in most countries now. https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1055677337 Ask us anything you want to know about this product. Also, keep an eye on the Github repo. https://github.com/mozilla/focus We are still watching the Keynote but will flip the switch soon.

So much Swift! All iOS developers I know are hopeful about Swift, but say that they wouldn't use it for a serious, large-scale project yet. (I'm a Unity developer that only occasionally touches native iOS or Android code). What was your experience with it?

I'm on a Swift project for an App in the neighbourhood of millions of DAUs. Swift is ready.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#244

Post by mikeash »

davidgerard wrote: post #179
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?

"credible nonprofit"

Upvote for rising to my absurd challenge and making a decent argument too.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#245

Post by derefr »

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…

Reminds me of the arguments against the CA ecosystem in favor of browser cert pinning. It's much easier to trust Mozilla (or Google, or whomever else) than to trust the fifty-odd root CAs installed on my computer, and all their granted intermediates.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#246

Post by joshschreuder »

iSnow wrote: post #13
panglott wrote: post #2

"Currently, Focus by Firefox only works with Safari, not Firefox for iOS. This was not our choice—Apple has chosen to make content blocking unavailable to third party browsers on iOS. We are exploring how we can provide this feature on Firefox for iOS and will deliver it as soon as it’s possible." The main reason I went back to Safari after getting Firefox for iOS.

>Apple has chosen to make content blocking unavailable to third party browsers on iOS. Someone has some context to this? I am using Ad-Blocker Browser on iOS and it blocks ads just fine.

The new Safari View Controller can use content blockers, but it basically opens a Safari window over the top of the app you're viewing (doesn't adhere to the app's design at all).

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#247

Post by s73v3r »

pistoriusp wrote: post #229
s73v3r wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it were anything other than Mozilla, wouldn't that be a Con? Because then it'd be more likely that the maintainer would take money to let ads by.

Well... One of the best selling paid versions, Crystal, is going to allow companies to pay for "acceptable ads." Personally, I think the people who paid for blockers were ripped off, there's nothing special or difficult in building a content blocker: 1. The majority of the value, the blocking list, it readily available and actively maintained. 2. Performance and integration into iOS is provided by Apple, you simply p…

So why should anyone make a content blocker, unless they're someone with a mission to do so, like Mozilla or the EFF?

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#248

Post by guelo »

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…

> more likely (probability wise) to be maintained

Mozilla is starting to develop a bad track record on this recently.

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#249

Post by conceit »

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…

authority, ambition

Re: Focus by Firefox, a Content Blocker for iOS

#250

Post by lowpro »

felipeerias wrote: post #49
talktime wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And try changing the default browser on your iPad - not possible. I don't know why Apple gets away with anti-competitive behavior that MS was hauled over the coals for two decades ago.

Because Apple is very far from being a monopoly.

You don't have to be a monopoly to have anti-competitive behavior, like disallowing competitors to compete with you in a market that has sizable market share, even if you own that market.

For example, if they banned any non Apple apps in the Apple App Store, there's still ~60% of the market in other stores (Google Play/Windows Store), but that still isn't allowed and is very anti-competitive.

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