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Bypassing Google's big anti-adblock update

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Re: Bypassing Google's big anti-adblock update

#221
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would be quite different if they patched it and broke important extensions, possibly facing serieous outcry and bad publicity.

Important extensions like, dunno, uBlock Origin?

Yeah, surely if chrome broke important extensions people will get mad and switch.

Re: Bypassing Google's big anti-adblock update

#222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Orion is the only viable option on iOS IMO. The fact that, to this day, Safari has no way to block ads on iOS means it's just awful. Before Orion, I avoided using my web browser like the plague, because the experience was just bad. Now I'm on Android, and Ironfox is pretty good and Firefox is also available. The browser story on Android is leaps and bounds ahead of iOS.

Actually there are several adblockers available for Safari on iOS; the functionality was introduced in 2015. Adblock Plus and Adguard are some of the larger extensions available, and now uBlock Origin Lite is now being beta tested for Safari on iOS.

I find the "switch to Safari" talk amusing because the adblockers available for Safari are functionally equivalent to the MV3 API that everyone's complaining about. The problem with the "static list of content to block" approach that Safari and MV3 use is that you can't trick the site into thinking that ads have been loaded when they haven't, like MV2 allows via Javascript injection. The effect of this is that you'll run into a lot of "disable your ad blocker to continue" pop-ups when using an adblocker with Safari, while you won't see them at all when using an adblocker with Firefox.

Re: Bypassing Google's big anti-adblock update

#223

Even if bigs exists to work around what Google is doing, that isn’t the right way forward. If people don’t agree with Google move, the only correct course of action is to ditch Chrome (and all Chromium browsers). Hit them where it hurts and take away their monopoly over the future direction of the web.

> Hit them where it hurts and take away their monopoly over the future direction of the web.

Because that has worked so well so far...

Re: Bypassing Google's big anti-adblock update

#224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I switched to Firefox and it's been wonderful. I wonder why I didn't switch earlier. It's only been a couple of months, but I can't imagine going back to a browser without multi-account containers.

[flagged]

I'll bite - if you dont use Firefox because of "questionable ethics", then I am quite surprised you decided to use Brave, considering their controversies. Also Brave is still based on Chrome's engine, and I dont think they'll be able to maintain their fork long-term, so if the reason to switch was to break the Chrome monopoly, then I'm not sure this switch really counts.

Re: Bypassing Google's big anti-adblock update

#225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its not happening

I switched to Firefox and it's been wonderful. I wonder why I didn't switch earlier. It's only been a couple of months, but I can't imagine going back to a browser without multi-account containers.

That's nice for you, but the monopoly is still there. In fact, you've strengthened Google's side in antitrust proceedings where they pretend they are not a monopoly because a small number of people use Firefox.

Re: Bypassing Google's big anti-adblock update

#226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know, I switched to Safari and it was painful for like two hours and then I stopped thinking about it. The only thing I somewhat miss is the built-in page translate, but I don't need it often enough to be bothered much.

I find switching from chrome to safari essentially doing nothing. If you switched to a non-big-company owned browser, it would make sense but Apple has plenty of lock in which is as bad as chrome lock in.

I don't think in this case your argument is as clear cut and the use cases that people have today arent solved by the choices out there.

George Carlin: "You don't need a formal conspiracy when interests converge. These people went to the same universities, they're on the same boards of directors, they're in the same country clubs, they have like interests, they don't need to call a meeting, they know what's good for them and they're getting it."

The interests of APPLE (who makes money on hardware, and credit card processing) don't align with the interests of Google (who makes money on ad's). I am all for open source, I'm all for alternatives. But honestly if you own an iPhone and a Mac then safari makes a lot of sense. I happen to use safari and Firefox on Mac and am happy to bounce back and forth.

I also keep an eye on ladybird, but it isnt ready for prime time.

And I'm still going to have a chrome install for easy flashing of devices.

Re: Bypassing Google's big anti-adblock update

#227
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You didn't really mention what aggravated you.

Initially the increase in frequency of the advertising on Android youtube app. Followed by uBlock being broken in Chrome. Followed by uBlock being tarpitted in Firefox. Followed by FreeTube client getting 403 IP forbidden requests and DRM content shovelled down which could not be rendered. They just did everything to make sure I watched the ads and burn all my bandwidth, which can be somewhat limited and expensive as…

Did you consider YouTube Premium? It works really well and no ads. Seems like a pittance for the service YouTube provides

Re: Bypassing Google's big anti-adblock update

#228

Even if bigs exists to work around what Google is doing, that isn’t the right way forward. If people don’t agree with Google move, the only correct course of action is to ditch Chrome (and all Chromium browsers). Hit them where it hurts and take away their monopoly over the future direction of the web.

“Sorry, we don’t support any browsers other than Chrome”

I agree exploiting a bug isn’t a sustainable solution. But it’s also unrealistic to think switching is viable.

Re: Bypassing Google's big anti-adblock update

#229
post #114

You bypass it by installing Firefox.

Firefox is awful. Both as a browser itself and as a base for other browsers. Such a shame that Zen didn't use Chromium :(

Weird, Firefox blows Chrome out of the water. What do you smoke?

Re: Bypassing Google's big anti-adblock update

#230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of people seem to believe that switching to a de-Googled Chromium-based browser isn't good enough. I think that's a psyop promoted by Google themselves. Firefox is different enough from Chrome that it's a big jump for people who are used to Chrome. Brave, custom Chromium builds, Vivaldi, etc. are all very similar to Google Chrome, they just don't have Google spy features. The argument that "Google still control…

Isn't that the exact argument behind the Serenity project? I legitimately feel there is a grave issue with the internet if one wallet controls all of the actual development of our browsers. Control over virtually all media consumption mustn't be in the hands of a corporation.

> I legitimately feel there is a grave issue with the internet if one wallet controls all of the actual development of our browsers.

Aside from Ladybird and Servo, it mostly is one wallet. Chrome and Firefox are both funded by Google, and Apple also receives significant funding from Google for being the default search engine in Safari.

Btw, some informal estimates at team sizes (full-time employees) of the various browsers (by people who have worked on them / are otherwise familiar):

Chrome: 1300

Firefox: 500

Safari: 100-150

Ladybird/Servo: 7-8 (each)

Which gives you an idea of why Chrome has been so hard to compete with.

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