Which ad blocker

[Neal]

We are wondering about adding an ad blocker to our Firefox/Linux Mint computer.
Are there any that do a decent job, without locking you out from browsing?

 

[Molaker]

I've been using AdBlock for a few years and am quite satisfied with it. As with any ad blocker, you will run into websites that will block access, but if you really wish to access that site, you can easily exclude it from the block and the website then lets you in. Commonly this is news sites, at least, the ones I encounter.

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

uBlock Origin is a good one.

 

[Irover]

8) I have been using the Opera Browser with Duck-Duck-Go as the search engine for about 4 years now with Linux; Windows and now my MacBook Pro which blocks most ads and has a VPN built in the new update!

 

[Lou Schneider]

I like the Brave browser.  It completely eliminates 3rd party ads and trackers and delivers clean, uncluttered web pages without the need for any add-ons.

And it has an optional Brave Rewards program where you can view selected ads to accumulate credits you can then send to websites you like as a replacement for the lost income from the ads you didn't see.

Brave is available for Windows, Android, Linux and iOS via the App Store.  It's chief developer is Brendon Eich, creator of Javascript and a co-founder of Mozilla.

https://brave.com

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3292619/the-brave-browser-basics-what-it-does-how-it-differs-from-rivals.html

 

[RockyHill]

I like the Brave browser.  It completely eliminates 3rd party ads and trackers and delivers clean, uncluttered web pages without the need for any add-ons.

And it has an optional Brave Rewards program where you can view selected ads to accumulate credits you can then send to websites you like as a replacement for the lost income from the ads you didn't see.

Brave is available for Windows, Android, Linux and iOS via the App Store.  It's chief developer is Brendon Eich, creator of Javascript and a co-founder of Mozilla.

https://brave.com

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3292619/the-brave-browser-basics-what-it-does-how-it-differs-from-rivals.html

I don't understand the "rewards" part.  Can I just simply use it like any other browser?

Shelia

 

[Lou Schneider]

Yes, Rewards is optional.  If you don't feel guilty about depriving your favorite websites of ad revenue it's your choice.

 

[Larry N.]

Thanks for the recommendation, Lou. I downloaded Brave yesterday morning and have been trying it since -- it works well and is very configurable. Looks like a keeper, though it'll take a little longer before I decide whether to make it my default browser.

Update: I can't make it accept RSS feeds, which is how I keep track of certain websites. Maybe someday...

 

[RockyHill]

Yes, Rewards is optional.  If you don't feel guilty about depriving your favorite websites of ad revenue it's your choice.

I'm good with giving websites ad revenue, just don't understand how it works.

Thanks,
Shelia

 

[TheBar]

X2 on the Brave browser. I've been using it for 2 years. Not only does it block ads but is way faster and protects your privacy better. There are not many but there are a few incompatibilities. Like on Reservations.gov the final button to confirm your reservation doesn't appear to work because nothing happens after you press it. But if you go look at your upcoming reservations you can see it did go through.

The rewards system isn't 100% implemented yet but is based on a crypto currency like Bitcoin called Basic Attention Token (BAT). You can use this feature or ignore it in "Settings". If you elect to view ads on selected sites that accept it you accumulate more BAT in your account. Some subscription sites like the Washington Post accept BAT as payment or you can choose to reward sites you like by sending them BAT.

 

[Alfa38User]

Question: After downloading and installing Brave to try it out, I find the ads removed from the top of the Forum pages still have the squares allotted to those ads still there and clicking on them results in reaching the appropriate advertiser. What settings are needed to make the ad really disappear?? (Firefox's Adblock plus makes all this invisible and non clickable as they are not there).


I'm with Larry N. on this one so far. Till now, I have used Firefox for many, many years.

 

[TheBar]

If you prefer Firefox then use it. I also like Firefox and agree Adblock frees up the space better on "some" web pages depending on how they structure the web page. But it doesn't remove all ads. Try MSN Money in the link below and compare it in both browsers. The entire right ad panel is shown in Firefox but is completely empty in Brave with no visible borders.

The speed is the real difference. If you refresh the Firefox page you see in the bottom left URL box it is loading all the ad links and then decides what to show or not show which takes way longer than loading the web page itself. In Brave it bypasses loading all the ad links which is way faster. Clock the time it takes to fully load the page on each one where fully means when all activity stops. By loading less data Brave also cuts down on the total gigabytes used in your ISP plan.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/

 

[Alfa38User]

In Brave it bypasses loading all the ad links which is way faster

This may be true BUT the empty boxes are still clickable , so the links must still be downloaded, just not the contents of the ad itself. I did note it is faster but..... What am I missing, if anything??

 

[garyb1st]

I've been using Brave for a few weeks and like it.  Previously I used Safari and their system of caching files would almost render the computer useless.  I'd have to clean out the cached files periodically.  When I look at my Activity Monitor, the Brave Browser has something called Brave Browser Helper.  Not sure what they are or how it impacts the computer but each one takes a bit of RAM.  Not as much as the Safari cached files but still a fair amount.  Overall the Brave Browser appears to use less data while connected via our Jetpack. 

 

[TheBar]

This may be true BUT the empty boxes are still clickable , so the links must still be downloaded, just not the contents of the ad itself. I did note it is faster but..... What am I missing, if anything??

The difference is just what you said, the content of the ads is not being downloaded by Brave. Brave is actually a modified version of Chrome written specifically to handle ads. So you might say Brave has ad handling built in its genetics or DNA. Other blockers are an additional program added to a browser like Firefox.

This is a little over simplified but the way this works is a human uses an editing program that writes the Java or html code that makes up most web pages. The human puts that ad link on the page or programs the sequence different links will be written to the web page. Brave sees the link, recognizes it as something external being loaded on the webpage, and skips over it. Which is why Brave is faster and removes more ads. Its also what causes the few incompatibility issues like the one I mentioned on Recreation.gov. There are some ads hardcoded on webpages which Brave cannot remove.

The Firefox ad blocker uses a logarithm to decide whether to display this ad or not. A lot of ads are contained within "frames" and the ad blocker removes the frame if it is an ad. These frames are the empty boxes are you see in Brave. I would prefer the empty boxes to be removed in Brave but that slows things down. The ad blocker process is an additional program which requires more data and CPU time which slows it down. I used Firefox for 10 years and after Firefox Quantum was released in 2017 Firefox became a very fast browser. I have not timed it but it seemed to me the ad blocker itself may be slowing Firefox down.

 

[Fogetty]

8) I have been using the Opera Browser with Duck-Duck-Go as the search engine for about 4 years now with Linux; Windows and now my MacBook Pro which blocks most ads and has a VPN built in the new update!

I am also a big fan of DuckDuckGo - I don't get "steered" to certain websites based on tracking.

I read an article - Computerworld I think - that noted Opera changed ownership from a Swedish company to a Chinese firm, and that the VPN is just a proxy server. Do those changes have an effect on privacy/security?  Just wondering....  : :-\

 

[TheBar]

the VPN is just a proxy server. Do those changes have an effect on privacy/security?  Just wondering....  : :-\

They both help to hide your location and info but a VPN is way better. A VPN is encrypted whereas a proxy server is generally not. The VPN hides everything on your computer vs a proxy just hides your web browser or BitTorrent. If you have sensitive info on your computer like your bank account number or passwords do not use a public network at a campgrounds or restaurant without a VPN. There are free ones which are better than nothing but you should read reviews from more than one well known company like pcmag.com, link below. Make sure your virus software is good and up to date.

My solution? I have a laptop (using it right now), a desktop, and my 8 year old IPad reset to factory defaults for browsing and such. But I do all my financial transactions on my new IPad. The IPhone and IPad are one of the few devices that are immune to viruses unless you install malevolent apps. I have only required apps installed and it is set to only connect to my home network or the cell network. I could use a VPN on the IPad but I'm too paranoid to trust any public network.

https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/296955/the-best-vpn-services