For anyone using Adblock Plus
Nov 14, 2013 14:01:07 GMT
Post by CharlieChomper on Nov 14, 2013 14:01:07 GMT
This mostly applies to Firefox users, but if anyone here is using the add-on Adblock Plus (regardless of web browser), I can't emphasize enough that you may want to uninstall it. The reason I mention this has to do with something most users out there remain unaware of and affects it into the present--regardless of what filter you have selected, it's designed to retain certain ads/sponsors who actually pay the developers so that their ads are not affected by the add-on/are not filtered out (in the past, this created a huge conflict and source of contention with another add-on that blocks out certain ad scripts as Adblock Plus effectively disabled it because it attempted to block out the ads that Adblock was receiving money to bypass/allow--this in turn led to massive ire within the open source and development community (as there's generally an understanding in place amongst developers to avoid touching/interfering with another's project--especially when it results in situations like this. Violating it very often ends up incurring the wrath of the rest of the development community at large along with many in the open source community (and in the case of something like an add-on, may result in a ban from being allowed to be included or considered for a web browser in addition to the notoriety it gains)).
Also, as seems to be too often the case with many sites and even some software, someone elected to change the interface to actually make it even less user friendly than it was previously and less effective.
All that said, however, for those who are using Adblock Plus and swear by it, there actually is an alternative out there that actually works just as well and is very easy/seamless to use (it's actually a "fork"* of the original project, but doesn't plays favorites with ads--it blocks them all out, nor are they accepting money from any corporate sponsors or ad companies out there). The name of it is Adblock Edge.
*For anyone wondering what a "fork" is in this context, typically with an existing software project of some type (and never applying to commercial, trademarked software given obvious legal issues--this typically applies more toward software using certain licenses (usually open) that may allow for it and with the software in question being free to distribute), it's sometimes been known to happen that an existing developer attached to the project or just someone very familiar with it who may have other ideas about it (with most forks very often being the result of some form of dispute or serious disagreement ranging in anything from the direction a given project may be taking or changes made to personality clashes) will take the base of that project and then apply whatever changes they see fit, often rename it, and release it (with it being clear from the start that it's a "fork"--and not their original work).
In the case of Adblock, it largely had to do with a combination of some developers within the community being unhappy with the redesign of it/wanting to retain the old form as well as being disgruntled over the ongoing issue with the Adblock Plus project both accepting money from sponsors specifically to retain their ads/protect them from being blocked (and prevent anyone from disabling them or filtering them out) and how it effectively defeated the whole purpose of the add-on to filter out ads/serve as an ad-blocker (hence the name), so the result is that it retains the older (and many might argue "better" or just more functional) interface, same base code, but now blocks out all ads rather than ignoring a select few.
Also, as seems to be too often the case with many sites and even some software, someone elected to change the interface to actually make it even less user friendly than it was previously and less effective.
All that said, however, for those who are using Adblock Plus and swear by it, there actually is an alternative out there that actually works just as well and is very easy/seamless to use (it's actually a "fork"* of the original project, but doesn't plays favorites with ads--it blocks them all out, nor are they accepting money from any corporate sponsors or ad companies out there). The name of it is Adblock Edge.
*For anyone wondering what a "fork" is in this context, typically with an existing software project of some type (and never applying to commercial, trademarked software given obvious legal issues--this typically applies more toward software using certain licenses (usually open) that may allow for it and with the software in question being free to distribute), it's sometimes been known to happen that an existing developer attached to the project or just someone very familiar with it who may have other ideas about it (with most forks very often being the result of some form of dispute or serious disagreement ranging in anything from the direction a given project may be taking or changes made to personality clashes) will take the base of that project and then apply whatever changes they see fit, often rename it, and release it (with it being clear from the start that it's a "fork"--and not their original work).
In the case of Adblock, it largely had to do with a combination of some developers within the community being unhappy with the redesign of it/wanting to retain the old form as well as being disgruntled over the ongoing issue with the Adblock Plus project both accepting money from sponsors specifically to retain their ads/protect them from being blocked (and prevent anyone from disabling them or filtering them out) and how it effectively defeated the whole purpose of the add-on to filter out ads/serve as an ad-blocker (hence the name), so the result is that it retains the older (and many might argue "better" or just more functional) interface, same base code, but now blocks out all ads rather than ignoring a select few.
