5 ms·

WidgetBlock for Google Chrome: All your widgets are belong to us.

46 points by zpoley 16y ago

zone2 16y ago
its actually pretty good... sites load a lot faster.
jrnkntl 16y ago
Works like advertised, a button to toggle it would be nice tho.
- slig 16y ago
  Just open a new window in incognito.
pedrokost 16y ago
There is a real push toward a more social web, and claims that it makes the web a better place. However, I am glad that someone has developed this extension. I have never liked all those auto updating twitter streams, facebook likes, etc. I have found them annoying ant distracting. "Making the web a better place" means gaining easier access to content. However those widgets only make me gain _better access to people I don't know, nor care about_ and pull me away from content.
lkozma 16y ago
Adblock Plus can also block most widgets if configured, as far as I know.
- meatmanek 16y ago
  In the same vein, couldn't this extension be implemented simply as a filter subscription for AdBlock?
  - pavs 16y ago
    Chrome adblockers don't block ads, they "hide ads", unlike FF Adblock. So the ads are still loaded, but you don't get the visual clutter (I guess that the point of most adblockers), on Firefox, ABP will stop ads from loading in the first place. AFAIK
    - nextparadigms 16y ago
      Actually, Adblock for Chrome can block ads too, but I think not all of them. It happend once Google let in by mistake some code from Webkit, that allowed for this to happen. And then they didn't remove it anymore. Here's what Adblock's author says: "New in version 2.0: Ads are actually blocked from downloading now, instead of just being removed after the fact!"
      - junkbit 16y ago
        It wasn't a mistake. A google engineer pointed it out on the chrome bug tracker saying you get this feature for free now with webkit
mda 16y ago
This was the missing piece; Facebook disconnect extension is awesome and this one completes my escape from useless social cruft.
tomjen3 16y ago
Super nice - but is there anyway to extend it to also blog thirdparty javascript? Often ad services slow down the sites more than these widgets.
- zpoley 16y ago
  I'm using it in conjunction with AdBlock which takes care of most ads. Are there any particular ad services that you've noticed? https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/gighmmpiobklfepjocnamgkkbiglidom https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/gighmmpiobklfepj...
JonnieCache 16y ago
Thank christ for that! Techcrunch loads in 50% of the time now.
- zpoley 16y ago
  Yes! Exactly.
pointillistic 16y ago
I should point out the big difference between an ad that provides the proprietor some meager revenue and the intrusive FB friends widget or the embedded twitter stream linking to some culinary porn, presumably someone's breakfast.
jonknee 16y ago
I have been using my /etc/hosts file to do the same thing for a while. This should make it easier when a friend wants the same.
- kmfrk 16y ago
  And Chrome's sync feature makes sure that you won't have to go through the steps every time you format or use another computer.
compnerd 16y ago
Great Extension! I have been using Fanboy's "Annoyances" filter for AdBlock, which has been working pretty well. For anyone interested, you can find it at https://secure.fanboy.co.nz/fanboy-addon.txt https://secure.fanboy.co.nz/fanboy-addon.txt
president 16y ago
Any alternatives for FF?
tomhenderson 16y ago
I'm using Shellfish for Safari which does a nice job of hiding these widgets. Unfortunately it doesn't block them completely so they're still in the background slowing down page loads even if you can't see them. http://open-bits.com/shellfish/ http://open-bits.com/shellfish/
ScottBurson 16y ago
Shouldn't that be "All your widget are belong to us"?
- zpoley 16y ago
  Thanks Scott. I changed it in the description.

46 points by zpoley 16y ago

zone2 16y ago

its actually pretty good... sites load a lot faster.

jrnkntl 16y ago

Works like advertised, a button to toggle it would be nice tho.

slig 16y ago
Just open a new window in incognito.

pedrokost 16y ago

There is a real push toward a more social web, and claims that it makes the web a better place. However, I am glad that someone has developed this extension. I have never liked all those auto updating twitter streams, facebook likes, etc. I have found them annoying ant distracting. "Making the web a better place" means gaining easier access to content. However those widgets only make me gain _better access to people I don't know, nor care about_ and pull me away from content.

lkozma 16y ago

Adblock Plus can also block most widgets if configured, as far as I know.

meatmanek 16y ago
In the same vein, couldn't this extension be implemented simply as a filter subscription for AdBlock?
- pavs 16y ago
  Chrome adblockers don't block ads, they "hide ads", unlike FF Adblock. So the ads are still loaded, but you don't get the visual clutter (I guess that the point of most adblockers), on Firefox, ABP will stop ads from loading in the first place. AFAIK
  - nextparadigms 16y ago
    Actually, Adblock for Chrome can block ads too, but I think not all of them. It happend once Google let in by mistake some code from Webkit, that allowed for this to happen. And then they didn't remove it anymore. Here's what Adblock's author says: "New in version 2.0: Ads are actually blocked from downloading now, instead of just being removed after the fact!"
    - junkbit 16y ago
      It wasn't a mistake. A google engineer pointed it out on the chrome bug tracker saying you get this feature for free now with webkit

mda 16y ago

This was the missing piece; Facebook disconnect extension is awesome and this one completes my escape from useless social cruft.

tomjen3 16y ago

Super nice - but is there anyway to extend it to also blog thirdparty javascript? Often ad services slow down the sites more than these widgets.

zpoley 16y ago
I'm using it in conjunction with AdBlock which takes care of most ads. Are there any particular ad services that you've noticed? https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/gighmmpiobklfepjocnamgkkbiglidom https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/gighmmpiobklfepj...

JonnieCache 16y ago

Thank christ for that! Techcrunch loads in 50% of the time now.

zpoley 16y ago
Yes! Exactly.

pointillistic 16y ago

I should point out the big difference between an ad that provides the proprietor some meager revenue and the intrusive FB friends widget or the embedded twitter stream linking to some culinary porn, presumably someone's breakfast.

jonknee 16y ago

I have been using my /etc/hosts file to do the same thing for a while. This should make it easier when a friend wants the same.

kmfrk 16y ago
And Chrome's sync feature makes sure that you won't have to go through the steps every time you format or use another computer.

compnerd 16y ago

Great Extension! I have been using Fanboy's "Annoyances" filter for AdBlock, which has been working pretty well. For anyone interested, you can find it at https://secure.fanboy.co.nz/fanboy-addon.txt https://secure.fanboy.co.nz/fanboy-addon.txt

president 16y ago

Any alternatives for FF?

tomhenderson 16y ago

I'm using Shellfish for Safari which does a nice job of hiding these widgets. Unfortunately it doesn't block them completely so they're still in the background slowing down page loads even if you can't see them. http://open-bits.com/shellfish/ http://open-bits.com/shellfish/

ScottBurson 16y ago

Shouldn't that be "All your widget are belong to us"?

zpoley 16y ago
Thanks Scott. I changed it in the description.