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Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin

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Re: Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin

#121

Remember when Firefox was the first browser to have "tabbed browsing"? Obviously UBO isn't a first party feature - but if only Firefox could generate as much traction about ad blocking as they did with tabs.

I'm fairly sure Opera introduced it first.

Re: Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin

#122
Haven’t tried it but apparently there is an unofficial port of the full version of uBlock Origin to work on manifest v3, the largest challenge being that, on manifest v3, the webRequestBlocking permission is only available to enterprise sideloaded extensions: https://github.com/r58Playz/uBlock-mv3

Re: Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin

#123
post #53

I just use Brave. I haven't seen a YouTube ad in years.

There are ads on YouTube?

I got a Android tablet...I can't recommend it. YT has gotten pretty toxic with the dark patterns. There are the usual interstitial ads, but after you skip and go full screen there's another ad widget in the lower left of the video. You have carefully navigate a popup menu to dismiss it without triggering an ad popup. If you pause or double-tap to -10s the video it restores down and shows an ad on the right side.

The Edge browser for has the best ad-free experience I've found so far on Android. It supports Widevine (DRM videos) and performance is good enough for most videos. I do get an occasional stutter with higher res videos. Firefox supports Widevine, but it didn't last week? Or I just didn't get the popup to "Enable DRM" for some reason. Edge claims to have blocked 15k YT ads in the last week with the built-in AdBlock Plus. It works with uBlock Origin as well (this week anyway).

Re: Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin

#124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I want my browser to prevent random extensions from directly reading web page data. To be honest, to me it sounds like you don't want browser extensions then. To me, directly messing with web page data and browser behaviour is the whole point of a browser extension - what else is a browser extension for?

The purpose of browser extensions is to build up an install base then sell out to some corporation that then promptly leverages that user base to exfiltrate data and monetize it. No thanks. They should have to declare to the browser what it is they want done instead.

It still sounds like you don't want browser extensions then.

Re: Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin

#125
post #58

Firefox is also the only browser that vets uBlock's code on every update to make sure the developer hasn't inserted spyware or malware into the extension. They don't do it for every extension, but they do so for a wide selection of popular options. > Recommended extensions differ from other extensions that are regularly reviewed by Firefox staff in that they are curated extensions that meet the highest standards of s…

> Firefox is also the only browser that vets uBlock's code on every update to make sure the developer hasn't inserted spyware or malware into the extension. They could save themselves the trouble if Firefox simply baked in its own ad-blocking, but since Google basically owns them, we all know that will never happen. Ladybird browser is going to be awesome.

That's like suggesting that someone using LLMs to assist coding, could save themselves the trouble by writing the code by hand.

Yes, Firefox could do everything, but then it'd turn back into Mozilla. The whole point of the extensions framework is to allow modular extensibility. And it's much easier to vet for malware than to code afresh and maintain.

What stuns me is that most people still use browsers that cannot block ads, seem genuinely annoyed by ads, but don't want to even try switching to a browser that will easily block those ads. It's amazing how much crap people are willing to wade through when the alternative is trying something new.

Re: Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin

#126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I want my browser to prevent random extensions from directly reading web page data. To be honest, to me it sounds like you don't want browser extensions then. To me, directly messing with web page data and browser behaviour is the whole point of a browser extension - what else is a browser extension for?

The purpose of browser extensions is to build up an install base then sell out to some corporation that then promptly leverages that user base to exfiltrate data and monetize it. No thanks. They should have to declare to the browser what it is they want done instead.

This point would be far more credible if browsers weren't in business to do what you claimed extensions are there to do.

I'd also argue that creating a full browser without a profit motive is more unrealistic than creating an extension and uploading it - for free - to a web store.

Re: Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin

#127

Do people not remember Firefox changing their terms of service last year and allowing them to sell your data to third parties? I don't get it did people forget? I switched over to LibreWolf and other browsers like that then and never looked back.

I'm not sure why you're being downvoted; you're right. Firefox the browser is an amazingly capable tool but I wish it was shepherded by an org that prioritized its users' interests (privacy, performance, etc.) instead of ramming AI, crypto or cute marketing campaigns that NOBODY wants into its flagship offering.

Re: Firefox is now the last major browser that still supports uBlock Origin

#129
post #32

What's funny is that extensions were supposed to be a way to let you do the things the browser didn't want you to do. Guess that was a bit too much freedom for Google to accept, so they had to make a store with a gate, and destroy the APIs so that they're useless. Then they had to make up some reasons to justify that and ram it through the pipeline despite everyone's objections, and the frog got boiled. Now we're bac…

> Then they had to make up some reasons to justify that Hate to be the one to defend Google here, but the reasons weren't that unreasonable. I want my browser to prevent random extensions from directly reading web page data. The declarative API idea is pretty good. It's just that uBlock Origin is so insanely useful, important and trusted, it should get full access to the entire browser regardless. Honestly, it should…

> I want my browser to prevent random extensions from directly reading web page data

This is so funny to me. Coming from a Netscape Navigator world, when extensions first came out, they were supposed to allow the user to add functionality to websites.

Why would someone install "random extensions" that they dont trust. And also, what would extensions do if not read and write data to websites? .

Sign of the times I guess.

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