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uBlock Origin works best on Firefox

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Re: uBlock Origin works best on Firefox

#411

Post by geku3 »

bassdropvroom wrote: post #52

> The Firefox version of uBO makes use of WebAssembly code for core filtering code paths. This is not the case with Chromium-based browsers because this would require an extra permission in the extension manifest which could cause friction when publishing the extension in the Chrome Web Store. Anyone know what this extra permission is and why requesting this extra permission would cause friction?

If extension requires new permission it wouldn't automatically update anymore until you allow it. It's enough friction for such an extension I guess, personally installed it for countless of people and most of them would just ignore updating it.

Re: uBlock Origin works best on Firefox

#412

Post by seba_dos1 »

tmp538394722 wrote: post #291
dahfizz wrote: post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surely the ublock devs are not writing WASM directly? It would be possible to have the source code available for audit with some way of proving it generates the assembly that is being shipped.

Sorry anything is possible, but your comment is a bit hand wavy. Reproducible builds are non trivial. And then what - the reviewer is now supposed to build your software and verify some Hash? Or were you thinking something else?

> Reproducible builds are non trivial.

That's true, but they aren't rocket science either. It's perfectly reasonable to require them for browser extensions.

Re: uBlock Origin works best on Firefox

#413

Post by mrob »

lone-commenter wrote: post #401
throwaway189262 wrote: post #333

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Text classification might be very good at identifying ad text. There's a popular fake news dataset where models hit 85% accuracy https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-68787-8_... Ads are highly tuned for click through rates. Even if the model isn't 100% accurate, it would force advertisers to use less effective ad text to avoid filters.

> it would force advertisers to use less effective ad text to avoid filters. That seems counterproductive to me. I mean, ads would still be annoying. And that’s why we block them.

I decline to accept ads because I don't want professional manipulators tricking me into acting against my best interests. I consider myself fairly good at resisting manipulation, but these are highly skilled experts backed by the full power of modern neuroscience, and they aim to catch me off guard. Adverts are hazardous to view, and you should not do so without utmost mental focus and discipline, which is impractical during general browsing.

The avoidance of annoyance is a just bonus.

Re: uBlock Origin works best on Firefox

#414

Post by catbuttes »

AlchemistCamp wrote: post #393
1vuio0pswjnm7 wrote: post #388

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Golang actually encourages developers to use their own resolver in applications instead of the system one. Google itself uses its "Public DNS" cache addreses in software and hardware it distributes. Neither decision may have been made with the intent of thwarting DNS-based evasion of ad/tracking, however, the resulting consequences may well be the same. "... there is nothing you can do." I am typing this comment…

Is any browser written in Golang?

Go's UI tooling is... not great. It's more aimed at server side and CLI usage. In those niches it is awesome though

Re: uBlock Origin works best on Firefox

#415

Post by pibechorro »

eecc wrote: post #359
MetaWhirledPeas wrote: post #312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I am inclined to predict that the option to use ad blockers may come to an end because browsers and other software financed with online ad-derived revenue have full control over what extensions users are allowed to run. They have full control over that system for extending the functionality of their software. I have a feeling that if Chrome (for instance) went that route it would quickly become Internet Explorer'd.…

But don’t forget Microsoft let IE rot for years and that is what drove the interest - and the protest - for alternatives and helped Flash thrive. Today Chrome is a fairly good platform, tons of support for all sorts of html extensions, and a very strong commitment to security. It’s a really nice product, except for the strings attached. Alphabet should be broken up and Chrome (OS) spun off into its own business; the…

Broken up by politicians? Ya, hard no. Just stop using it! Stop forcing your choices on people. No one has to use chrome, google search, gmail, etc. There are alternatives to all your problems, open source ones too.

Re: uBlock Origin works best on Firefox

#416

Post by Youden »

antattack wrote: post #31

I would use Firefox + uBlock Origin over other browsers even if it was half as fast.

In what way is Firefox not fast? I typically run it right alongside Chrome (Firefox for personal stuff, Chrome for work) and don't notice much of a difference switching between them. If anything, Firefox is faster.

Re: uBlock Origin works best on Firefox

#417

Post by GrayShade »

pmontra wrote: post #398
int_19h wrote: post #385

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So long as DoH servers are configurable, why is it a problem?

I use /etc/hosts daily to access computers with only an IP address and no DNS entry, or to override them for testing. I don't want to have to self host a DoH server when it's so easy to edit a test file. Furthermore, until every ISP has its own DoH server we are centralizing control of the basic internet infrastructure even more than now.

/etc/hosts works in Firefox: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1616252

Re: uBlock Origin works best on Firefox

#418

Post by MomoXenosaga »

jillesvangurp wrote: post #324
Groxx wrote: post #259

> At browser launch, Firefox will wait for uBO to be up and ready before network requests are fired from already opened tab(s). > This is not the case with Chromium-based browsers, i.e. tracker/advertisement payloads may find their way into already opened tabs before uBO is up and ready in Chromium-based browsers, while these are properly filtered in Firefox. > Reliably blocking at browser launch is especially import…

Google has an obvious incentive to make life hard for ad blocking extension developers. Chrome and chromium exist because their business model is showing ads in it. That's the only reason it exists. Everything else it does is there only to convince users to use it and thus get exposed to ads and tracking. That includes performance work, UX work, etc. that Google puts a lot of time and money in. It makes Chrome really…

Reminds me of cable television: the TV shows exist to keep people watching the ads.

Re: uBlock Origin works best on Firefox

#419

Post by greenwich26 »

dash2 wrote: post #397

Tools like this are cutting off the branch they are sitting on. If you block all the ads on an ad-supported website, how will it survive?

If uBlock makes itself redundant by killing all ad-supported websites for good, that sounds like a fantastic outcome. In this case, I will personally fund the creator's retirement.

Re: uBlock Origin works best on Firefox

#420

Post by skinkestek »

OJFord wrote: post #381
ehsankia wrote: post #338

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Either I'm understanding it wrong or you're way overestimating this issue. Unless you close and open your browser between every single website you visit, this impact is probably negligible. Most people don't even close their browser windows ever between computer restarts.

And when you do restart, every single open tab will/might be able to load everything, unblocked and unfiltered, in the period between Chrome starting, and starting the extension.

Absolutely correct but I guess many innocent souls here will still think of it as a minor inconvenience, so let me explain:

For some people it is not just about annoying ads; for those people paid or unpaid work (or something else, I'm not here to judge) takes them to sites where you'd rather not be surfing with js enabled.

Remember: Client-side JS is a way for whoever controls the server side to execute code on your machine. Disabling JS instantly removes whole classes of nasty exploits.

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