The Lemon Fool

No the heading isn't a typo- i have been using ABP as an ad-blocker for a while now(though not on this site)and it has worked well, no cr*p video ads slowing down page loading etc.,but i'v noticed over the last few days that it no longer works on some sites, the icon is greyed out and i get the ads. Has there been the introduction of an ad- blocker blocker? can sites now override them?In short is there anyone there cleverer than me, or more au fait with these matters ? and if so is there an ad-blocker , blocker, blocker?

casapinos wrote:...over the last few days that it no longer works on some sites, the icon is greyed out...

This thread from a few years back on the (remarkably familiar looking) Adblock forum suggests...

I went into the filter preferences and tried to figure out what was causing it. I managed to pin it down to the exceptions list.

https://adblockplus.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14740

I don't use Adblock, I have a HOSTS table to block all ads.

Thanks Bree i am glad to see that the lemon fool is as efficient as the old place at solving problems- thanks again
casa

FredBloggs wrote:I'm not aware of the blocking of blockers, but quite a few websites now seem to refuse to show the page content until you turn the ad blocker off. Seeing that content is rarely unique to one website, I just go elsewhere.

Apparently there was a bit of a tussle with Facebook trying to override Adblock Plus, last year, with new iterations of ABP having to be released to keep the blocking working.

Slarti

Breelander wrote:
I don't use Adblock, I have a HOSTS table to block all ads.

I am aware of how the hosts file can be used to direct any ip/url to the localhost 127.0.0.1, but maintaining it must be a nightmare. How do you keep the blacklist fresh?

Meatyfool..

FredBloggs wrote:I'm not aware of the blocking of blockers, but quite a few websites now seem to refuse to show the page content until you turn the ad blocker off. Seeing that content is rarely unique to one website, I just go elsewhere.

I have been unable to use Ch4 online and ITV player without turning it off. Some newspapers put a big floating box saying they need the revenue so please turn it off and some have a 'answer a question to read the article' thing which is presumably an income earner for them as the 'questions' probably lead to links and useful data gathering.

I would assume as they have all gone to so much trouble to find ways to make you turn it off that an ad-blocker blocker does not exist

Mel

melonfool wrote:

FredBloggs wrote:I'm not aware of the blocking of blockers, but quite a few websites now seem to refuse to show the page content until you turn the ad blocker off. Seeing that content is rarely unique to one website, I just go elsewhere.

I have been unable to use Ch4 online and ITV player without turning it off. Some newspapers put a big floating box saying they need the revenue so please turn it off and some have a 'answer a question to read the article' thing which is presumably an income earner for them as the 'questions' probably lead to links and useful data gathering.

I would assume as they have all gone to so much trouble to find ways to make you turn it off that an ad-blocker blocker does not exist

Mel

I can't use either of those as they require Flash, which I won't have on my machines.

But nothing popped up about adblocker when I tried.

Slarti

Slarti wrote:

melonfool wrote:
I have been unable to use Ch4 online and ITV player without turning it off. Some newspapers put a big floating box saying they need the revenue so please turn it off and some have a 'answer a question to read the article' thing which is presumably an income earner for them as the 'questions' probably lead to links and useful data gathering.

I would assume as they have all gone to so much trouble to find ways to make you turn it off that an ad-blocker blocker does not exist

Mel

I can't use either of those as they require Flash, which I won't have on my machines.

But nothing popped up about adblocker when I tried.

Slarti

No idea about Flash, but once I turned the ad blocker off I could happily watch Corrie (ITV) and This Is Us (Ch4). With the ad blocker on it brought up a box saying 'looks like you've got an ad blocker, you'll need to turn it off*' and if I tried to close that box I just got a timer wheel and no programme loading.

Mel


(* in fact the Ch4 one said "looks like you've got an ad blocker....you know where we're going with this...." which was a bit irritating)

Meatyfool wrote:

Breelander wrote:
I don't use Adblock, I have a HOSTS table to block all ads.

I am aware of how the hosts file can be used to direct any ip/url to the localhost 127.0.0.1, but maintaining it must be a nightmare. How do you keep the blacklist fresh?

Meatyfool..

I use http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/ to refresh my hosts file: they email me to say there's an update available.
(or put "site:https://mvps.org/ hosts" (no quotes) into a google search to get more information).

Occasionally I will go into their file to edit it in the event that I do want a specific advertising link to work.

VRD

(no connection with the above website except as a satisfied user)

vrdiver wrote:

Meatyfool wrote:

Breelander wrote:
I don't use Adblock, I have a HOSTS table to block all ads.

I am aware of how the hosts file can be used to direct any ip/url to the localhost 127.0.0.1, but maintaining it must be a nightmare. How do you keep the blacklist fresh?

I use http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/ to refresh my hosts file: they email me to say there's an update available.

Yes, me too. Get on the email list here: http://mvpshostsnews.blogspot.co.uk/

Interesting information on modified Hosts files, and worth considering further.

Can I ask Breelander and vrdiver what the effects of the MVPS Hosts file is on sites that complain or indeed block you from fully using them if they detect ABP (for example, ITVPlayer, Ch4 online, or the Telegraph).

forlesen wrote:Interesting information on modified Hosts files, and worth considering further.

Can I ask Breelander and vrdiver what the effects of the MVPS Hosts file is on sites that complain or indeed block you from fully using them if they detect ABP (for example, ITVPlayer, Ch4 online, or the Telegraph).

I don't use ITVPlayer or Ch4 on the principle that I'm not going to give my email address to all and sundry. FWIW I've just tried both and can get as far as the play button for a programme (whereupon it asks you to sign in) without any comment on 'ad blockers'.

The Telegraph is an interesting one - a few years back when everyone started complaining about the Telegraph going 'registration/subscription' I had no idea what they were talking about. I actually had to remove my HOSTS file to see what all the fuss was about. Apparently the mechanism for blocking access unless you'd registered was run by a site that was being blocked by my HOSTS file

That mechanism has changed now, with parts of the Telegraph being 'Premium'. I certainly have no problems reading Telegraph articles today (except the Premium ones - same comments as above about being too free with my email address).

It's the occasional local newspaper site that says 'no - not until you remove your ad-blocker', but they are few and far between (and there are always alternative sources for news). Perhaps the more sophisticated sites check for ABP specifically? If so I'm 'clean' as far as they're concerned

Breelander,

If you don't like handing out your email address, why don't you use throwaway email addresses? I use spamgourmet.com.

Once you have received the "register" email from the website, you can log in to spamgourmet and tell it to eat all other email, so you will never be bothered by them again.

Meatyfool..

FredBloggs wrote:FWIW, I subscribe to the Telegraph and even when I am logged in the website complains about me running an ad blocker.

Must be that the Telegraph checks for installed ad blockers by name. As I don't have any of the named ones installed they never tell me to remove them.

Meatyfool wrote:...why don't you use throwaway email addresses? I use spamgourmet.com...

and what email address do you use to register with them?

Actually, I have 400 disposable email addresses available through my Yahoo! account, so don't have to trust another 3rd-party service for that. So far I've only used about 50 of them.

Breelander wrote:and what email address do you use to register with them?

I did spot the smiley (!) but for the benefit of others reading this - yes you do hand over your own "proper" email address, but given that the whole premis of the site is to prevent spam from appearing in your inbox, created by people with that intent, and hosted by people with that intent, you shouldn't have to fear your proper address going awry.

Meatyfool..