I somewhat wished that when Chrome switches to manifest v3, uBlock Origin would stop supporting Chrome and its clones.
Firefox is the only browser where uBlock Origin is actually working as intended, Chrome on the other hand (even in manifest v2) is blocking so many features that uBO isn't actually able to work as a privacy and anti-malware tool. CNAME uncloaking is essential because websites can counter any filter rule by just aliasing the Google Analytics domain but Chrome doesn't have an API for that. Instead you need a gigantic list of filter rules, one for each domain, making loading web pages slower.
uBO is even slower in Chrome because Chrome doesn't allow extensions to use wasm.
>Chrome because Chrome doesn't allow extensions to use wasm.
Chrome doesn't allow loading remote web assembly in mv3 extentions. You can't run remote javascript either. It's fine if you bundle the wasm with your extension.
"Instead you need a gigantic list of filter rules, one for each domain, making loading web pages slower."
By not using recursive DNS, including open resolvers or other third party DNS providers, I avoid this problem. I do not need to maintain a list of domains to block,^1 I only need to maintain a list of domains for hosts that I actually want to access. I do not even make remote DNS lookups because generally I already have the DNS data stored (gathered in bulk beforehand), so the web becomes faster, not slower. One of the requirements for the web to suck the way it does, and for so-called "tech" companies to proliferate by collecting data and selling ad services, is that the web browser and webpages must be give free reign to resolve any domain name. IME over nearly 20 years of controlling own DNS, restricting that ability makes the web instantly readable, even so-called "dumpster fire" webpages.
1. AFAICT no one actually does this anyway. They delegate the task to third parties, "blocklist" maintainers.
Unfortunately, uMatrix (the other gorhill project) has bad bugs on Firefox.
When you navigate to another page, it will sometimes get the host for a web request wrong, causing it to apply the wrong rules for that request. This can cause you to lose your login cookies. And since uMatrix has been discontinued, so there's no more central repository to collect bug fixes.
A fork is available called nuTensor which does resolve the cookie clearing problem, but I often see hosts that are not part of the current page (they were from the page I was previously viewing) appearing on the grid.
Huh, so that was why that was randomly happening. Sigh, I totally understand gorhill not wanting to have to support another overlapping tool, but uMatrix is unparalleled for visualizing the sheer mass of privacy vampirism on the modern Web. I've learned a lot from using it on sites, and am now kind of a cottage expert on CDNs thanks to determining the minimum whitelisting to get a site's basic functionality to run.
Do you have an example of how one can test that? Or be more specific? I don’t remember ever encountering any issue like that, but that might simply be because I didn’t know about that bug.
Does anyone know if there is a way to sync settings/filters across multiple uBlock Origin installations? I use a ton of browsers and find the manual export/import to be a hassle.
I think there’s a setting to enable cloud storage, so as long as you’re logged into Firefox Sync/Chrome it can be synced but has to be triggered manually to sync/merge the filter lists.
I am saddened that I do not know how to best express my gratitude towards gorhill, and the filter list maintainers, for their incredibly valuable, tireless work, so "Thank you, so, so much!" will have to do here.
It's only thanks to uBlock Origin, I believe, that my parents (of rather old age) are able to make positive use of the Internet. A world without uBlock Origin would see them drowning in an onslaught of noise, attacks, flashing attention-grabbing spam, none of which improves the quality of their lives.
So, thank you, thank very very much, gorhill, and the filter list maintainers!
My biggest wish ever is to get a Safari version of uBlock Origin. I know how unlikely it is and to be honest Wipr does a pretty good job blocking ads, but it's something I think about often.
Doesn’t recent changes that removed restrictions around what could run as a browser on iOS enable some of this now? Or is it still restricted to t he point that it’s untenable?
I used https://www.privoxy.org/ around 2002-2005, before adblockers as browser extensions existed. Proxy based adblocking was much easier when basically no website used SSL.
Pro tip: if you are concerned that you are spending too much time reading the internet, just uninstall ublock. You'll be so disgusted by the current state of affairs that you'll want to spend as little time online as possible.
Yeah, I've said before that whenever my wife wants to show me something from the web on her laptop, I blown away by how bad it is. The experience in her browser (Chrome with all defaults, usually on ad-supported social media or puzzle or pop culture news sites, or shopping sites) is like being assaulted to me.
Of course the other thing that's been happening is that most of it isn't "reading the internet" anymore; it's all watching short-form videos (also laced with ads).
My work does not filter anything ( it won't let me use some websites, but will happily let me see ads for new yard gizmos ) so the few times I actually am forced to look for something on work PC, it is a quick reminder why I bother doing all the things I do.
Every time I setup a new OS and forget to install uBO, I'm instantly reminded when I go anywhere but HN. Then I feel like I have to wipe the harddrive again just to be sure I'm not infected with something after the exposure.
As someone who has sat in front of a computer daily for nearly 30 years, this really hit me.
I am REALLY good at maintaining a no-ad/no-spam experience for my self with high-density-information content, that I almost never see ads.
My viewing is clean, I have never been accidentally rick-rolled, I have never seen TG1C, TubGirl, etc... no Ogrish or other crap...
I am my own 'curator'
-
But yeah - if you dont take time to set mental-health-boundaries against the internet - then the internet is the same as the experiments when they just plugged in a machine (win98? xp? cant reacall) - pwnd in matter of minutes.
Thats the same as your mind.
put mental firewalls up.
Be open to positive content, but destroy negative impacts on your mental health with impunity.
This is an auxiliary tool, it does not affect uBO's efficiency when not using the auxiliary tools (logger, viewers, etc.) You won't find a leaner content blocker than uBO CPU- and memory-wise, by quite a good margin, and this new auxiliary tool changes nothing about this.
Being a volunteer filter list maintainer is a thankless and time-consuming task, and when I myself investigate filter issues, I repeatedly have to go through the same steps which is looking at the source code of pages and JS resources, which most often are minified, and it's also difficult to navigate between the different resources back and forth. If you want to understand the benefits, I suggest you regularly try to contribute to filter lists.[1]
[+] [-] foepys|3 years ago|reply
Firefox is the only browser where uBlock Origin is actually working as intended, Chrome on the other hand (even in manifest v2) is blocking so many features that uBO isn't actually able to work as a privacy and anti-malware tool. CNAME uncloaking is essential because websites can counter any filter rule by just aliasing the Google Analytics domain but Chrome doesn't have an API for that. Instead you need a gigantic list of filter rules, one for each domain, making loading web pages slower.
uBO is even slower in Chrome because Chrome doesn't allow extensions to use wasm.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlock-Origin-works-b...
[+] [-] charcircuit|3 years ago|reply
>Chrome doesn't have an API for that.
It rolled out a year ago.
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=115104...
>Chrome because Chrome doesn't allow extensions to use wasm.
Chrome doesn't allow loading remote web assembly in mv3 extentions. You can't run remote javascript either. It's fine if you bundle the wasm with your extension.
[+] [-] 1vuio0pswjnm7|3 years ago|reply
By not using recursive DNS, including open resolvers or other third party DNS providers, I avoid this problem. I do not need to maintain a list of domains to block,^1 I only need to maintain a list of domains for hosts that I actually want to access. I do not even make remote DNS lookups because generally I already have the DNS data stored (gathered in bulk beforehand), so the web becomes faster, not slower. One of the requirements for the web to suck the way it does, and for so-called "tech" companies to proliferate by collecting data and selling ad services, is that the web browser and webpages must be give free reign to resolve any domain name. IME over nearly 20 years of controlling own DNS, restricting that ability makes the web instantly readable, even so-called "dumpster fire" webpages.
1. AFAICT no one actually does this anyway. They delegate the task to third parties, "blocklist" maintainers.
[+] [-] sharps1|3 years ago|reply
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock-origin-lite...
EDIT: Discussion from 6 months ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32911640
[+] [-] therealmarv|3 years ago|reply
https://github.com/brave/adblock-rust
but you will only have it built-in in Brave currently.
[+] [-] joshspankit|3 years ago|reply
Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35235732
[+] [-] matheusmoreira|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Dwedit|3 years ago|reply
When you navigate to another page, it will sometimes get the host for a web request wrong, causing it to apply the wrong rules for that request. This can cause you to lose your login cookies. And since uMatrix has been discontinued, so there's no more central repository to collect bug fixes.
A fork is available called nuTensor which does resolve the cookie clearing problem, but I often see hosts that are not part of the current page (they were from the page I was previously viewing) appearing on the grid.
[+] [-] userabchn|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] yborg|3 years ago|reply
Huh, so that was why that was randomly happening. Sigh, I totally understand gorhill not wanting to have to support another overlapping tool, but uMatrix is unparalleled for visualizing the sheer mass of privacy vampirism on the modern Web. I've learned a lot from using it on sites, and am now kind of a cottage expert on CDNs thanks to determining the minimum whitelisting to get a site's basic functionality to run.
[+] [-] Semaphor|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jhoelzel|3 years ago|reply
the simple improvement in internet speed is well worth it, even though i do too have a pihole running.
Sometimes when i visits friends i barely recognize sites that i use frequently.
[+] [-] matheusmoreira|3 years ago|reply
Thank you, gorhill.
[+] [-] pkulak|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] princevegeta89|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rmkrmk|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] shoffmeister|3 years ago|reply
I am saddened that I do not know how to best express my gratitude towards gorhill, and the filter list maintainers, for their incredibly valuable, tireless work, so "Thank you, so, so much!" will have to do here.
It's only thanks to uBlock Origin, I believe, that my parents (of rather old age) are able to make positive use of the Internet. A world without uBlock Origin would see them drowning in an onslaught of noise, attacks, flashing attention-grabbing spam, none of which improves the quality of their lives.
So, thank you, thank very very much, gorhill, and the filter list maintainers!
[+] [-] BystanderX|3 years ago|reply
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Why-don%27t-you-accep...
[+] [-] vmoore|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unity1001|3 years ago|reply
Them opening a Patreon and you patronizing them would work great. And ensure the continuity of the project.
[+] [-] menshiki|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] SOLAR_FIELDS|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gred|3 years ago|reply
var internetSafety = -10;
internetSafety += windows ? -5 : 3;
internetSafety += uBO ? 4 : -9;
internetSafety += uMatrix ? 13 : -99;
[+] [-] 0l|3 years ago|reply
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Dynamic-filtering:-qu...
[+] [-] sciencesama|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] skrause|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tblt|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] toastal|3 years ago|reply
OpenWrt has Ad blocking capabilities built-in.
[+] [-] oriettaxx|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] clircle|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] warner25|3 years ago|reply
Of course the other thing that's been happening is that most of it isn't "reading the internet" anymore; it's all watching short-form videos (also laced with ads).
[+] [-] A4ET8a8uTh0|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kgwxd|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] samstave|3 years ago|reply
As someone who has sat in front of a computer daily for nearly 30 years, this really hit me.
I am REALLY good at maintaining a no-ad/no-spam experience for my self with high-density-information content, that I almost never see ads.
My viewing is clean, I have never been accidentally rick-rolled, I have never seen TG1C, TubGirl, etc... no Ogrish or other crap...
I am my own 'curator'
-
But yeah - if you dont take time to set mental-health-boundaries against the internet - then the internet is the same as the experiments when they just plugged in a machine (win98? xp? cant reacall) - pwnd in matter of minutes.
Thats the same as your mind.
put mental firewalls up.
Be open to positive content, but destroy negative impacts on your mental health with impunity.
[+] [-] vmoore|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] agumonkey|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] shuntress|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] msla|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dang|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] codetrotter|3 years ago|reply
uBlock Origin is the good one
[+] [-] VWWHFSfQ|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gorhill|3 years ago|reply
Being a volunteer filter list maintainer is a thankless and time-consuming task, and when I myself investigate filter issues, I repeatedly have to go through the same steps which is looking at the source code of pages and JS resources, which most often are minified, and it's also difficult to navigate between the different resources back and forth. If you want to understand the benefits, I suggest you regularly try to contribute to filter lists.[1]
* * *
[1] https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets/issues