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There’s a reason these “how to privacy your browser” changes are all are not bundled with browsers — because the capability to maintain them as they are today i

There’s a reason these “how to privacy your browser” changes are all are not bundled with browsers — because the capability to maintain them as they are today is a one in a thousand skill or less. Maintaining this collection of changes is a significant burden that requires an ongoing investment and a willingness to deal with the technical fallout of these choices every day. So: Please don’t apply these steps to non-technical people’s browsers. They will result in an endless litany of broken banking websites, annoying support calls, memory issues, and in general a terrible user experience for others. Guides like these are why my most common technical support first response for experts having browser issues is to have them reset their browser settings and remove all addons and try again. Non-experts rarely require that, unless they tell me that an expert “made it better” for them. Don’t be that expert.

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
I installed just privacy browser and HTTPS everywhere on my wife's computer and that alone was enough to break things to the point she asked me to turn them off.
scrooched_moose 8y ago
Agreed. I have a subset of these installed and it forces me to switch to an unblocked Chrome multiple times per day. It does force me to evaluate whether I really need access to something, but it's a hurdle.
crispyambulance 8y ago
> Please don’t apply these steps to non-technical people’s browsers. There's a fair amount of stuff in the article. You are right that it would be hard to manage if someone implemented all of the recommendations. But there's some solid advice in there. An ad-blocker like ublock-origin is a must-have ESPECIALLY for so-called nontechnical folks. I make sure to put that on the browsers of my extended family whenever I visit and inevitably get asked to "clean" computers. Does it help prevent malware? Hard to say but I think yes.
- floatingatoll 8y ago
  The guide does not offer the nuance you suggest, and instead follows the standard approach of such guides, recommending all possible steps without any criteria by which to filter them for usability or other. An ad-blocker like uOrigin can break online courseware and banking sites. If you install it on a student’s machine, and the ad block you consider ‘mandatory’ damages their experience, they might decide to drop (or fail) their course if they can’t figure out how to undo the damage you’ve done to their browser. Non-experts cannot repair the issues caused by experts inflicting these steps on their computers. Don’t be that expert.
  - the_duke 8y ago
    I have noticed very, very few essential websites (like banking, University, Government sites, ...) breaking when using the standard lists of uBlock origin. Sites that break are almost always fishy. But I have started telling people that, when a site is not working properly, they may be able to fix it by clicking the shield button and then the big power button to turn the blocker off. That's usually enough. You are being a bit over-dramatic here I think. Most younger people are smart enough to try a different approach (eg using the phone or tablet instead).
    - floatingatoll 8y ago
      I’ve been doing personal computer support for family and friends since the 90s. My views derive from my experiences supporting them. I spent forty-five minutes teaching someone to press the home button on an iPad last year. You greatly overestimate the lower bounds of competence of unskilled folks.
      - bloopernova 8y ago
        And the lower bounds of confidence too. A lot of people I've encountered are quite scared of computers, and experience a significant amount of anxiety when asked to use a computer in front of someone. What to us is as natural as reaching for something, is to them a task to be feared, anticipated with dread, embarrassment and shame. All IT related people should spend time with such folks, as you did. It would definitely help the industry if we were all a lot more open and sympathetic to people who are mystified, scared, or angered by computers and software.
pavon 8y ago
Yes. I've tried implementing some of these on my wife's laptop after using them myself for some time and not having any problems. Then quickly learned that the sites she comes across while browsing are far far more likely to break with these tools than the sites that I (a computer geek) visit. I've had to dial it back significantly. Disconnect is the only blocker that has passed the wife test. I originally discounted it because the UI for dealing with breakage is worse than Privacy Badger or Ghostery (The default UI doesn't list blocked conent, the graph is harder to see host names at a glance, and the button to temporarily disable all blocking is not as obvious). But the fact that it is more conservative in what it blocks to begin with makes up for it. I still wouldn't enable it for people I don't live with though. I was also shocked at how frequently HTTPS Everywhere breaks things. I stopped using that myself (and I use uMatrix, with stricter than default base rules). I'm testing out Decentraleyes right now. It claims to be 100% non-breaking, and so far that appears to be the case. The problem it is addressing (tracking browsing habits via JS libraries) isn't one of the biggest privacy concerns out there, but if it doesn't break anything, and decreases bandwidth to boot, why not!
- phalangion 8y ago
  Pihole is the only blocker I have found that passes the wife test. Every thing else I've tried on her computer has ended in frustration.
  - lostlogin 8y ago
    I just wish they were everywhere, it’s so excellent. What sort of percentages are you blocking and how extensive is your block list? I’ve got about 1 million domains blacklisted and get about 15-20% of traffic blocked.
    - fonosip 8y ago
      you can host your pihole in the cloud, and access it everywhere with an adblock split-tunnel VPN. here's a self-hosted howto https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/doc/howto.html https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/doc/howto.html
mosselman 8y ago
Firefox now has basic ad-blocking built-in using Disconnect's lists, which is very cool. I use ublock in combination with privacy badger. In ublock I block all third-party requests and enable sites one by one. I had to leave Safari on my laptop with only the basic ad-blocking since my wife can't use my Firefox's ultra hard blocking situation.
- pbhjpbhj 8y ago
  I searched but couldn't find anything suggesting they're ad-blocking by default -- what they do have, eg https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2019/01/30/firefox-makes-ad-tracker-dodging-easier-for-privacy-conscious-users/ https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2019/01/30/firefox-makes-ad..., is ability to block trackers. But it's only default enabled in "private" mode. Could you backup your statement? Mozilla got a huge sum of money from Google last time I checked (a few months ago), so it would be amazing if they were allowed by Google to enable ad-blocking as a default (unless there was whitelisting that included Google).
  - mosselman 8y ago
    The information is right in the article you posted. I never used the word 'default'.
andrepd 8y ago
>They will result in an endless litany of broken banking websites, annoying support calls, memory issues, and in general a terrible user experience for others. This is some FUD you got going on here. Changing DNS will break notjing. Neither will blocking referrals, blocking trackers, blocking ads. In the rare case it does, you're one click away to disable everything! Neither will your system get slower, much to the contrary you will save memory, network data, and battery.
- rashkov 8y ago
  A few minutes ago, my ad blocker broke the login form of my cellphone provider. A non-technical user would probably not think to turn off the ad-blocker, and would assume that the website is broken. Not being able to log into your phone provider (or bank) is a pretty serious inconvenience which should not be taken lightly.
  - gdfasfklshg4 8y ago
    If a login form breaks because of an ad-blocker then the site is broken. Ad-blockers have a bigger market share than most browsers!
    - rashkov 8y ago
      I agree that the website is the thing that is broken. Their code looked like this: reportToTracker('userActionSubmit'); submitForm(); The first line threw an exception. They should have surrounded that line with a try/catch block. And they should have tested against popular adblockers as well as popular browsers. But it's also within their right to not care about adblockers, and live with the consequences of upset customers. Unfortunately, very few customers will complain, so this becomes an externalized cost which the website owner never sees. Practically speaking, if I install an adblocker on my friend's computer, and their mobile provider website stops working, then I personally feel some responsibility for making my friend's web experience a bit worse.
    - gruez 8y ago
      >Ad-blockers have a bigger market share than most browsers! Browsers adhere to standards. Meanwhile, there are hundreds/thousands of filter subscription combinations that people use, along with several adblocking extensions.
npsimons 8y ago
> Please don’t apply these steps to non-technical people’s browsers. They will result in an endless litany of broken banking websites, annoying support calls, memory issues, and in general a terrible user experience for others. I apply these solutions on a shared laptop, but I do so precisely because it shouldn't be used for things like banking. It doesn't get heavily used for web browsing anyway, and having these extensions installed is more than likely to save me (as the resident IT guy) tons of headaches in the long run. It's not a binary thing; there are shades of gray where this is highly appropriate. ETA: I also used to do this on my spouse's laptop. Didn't cause too many issues once we got past the initial hurdles.

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago

I installed just privacy browser and HTTPS everywhere on my wife's computer and that alone was enough to break things to the point she asked me to turn them off.

scrooched_moose 8y ago

Agreed. I have a subset of these installed and it forces me to switch to an unblocked Chrome multiple times per day. It does force me to evaluate whether I really need access to something, but it's a hurdle.

crispyambulance 8y ago

> Please don’t apply these steps to non-technical people’s browsers. There's a fair amount of stuff in the article. You are right that it would be hard to manage if someone implemented all of the recommendations. But there's some solid advice in there. An ad-blocker like ublock-origin is a must-have ESPECIALLY for so-called nontechnical folks. I make sure to put that on the browsers of my extended family whenever I visit and inevitably get asked to "clean" computers. Does it help prevent malware? Hard to say but I think yes.

floatingatoll 8y ago
The guide does not offer the nuance you suggest, and instead follows the standard approach of such guides, recommending all possible steps without any criteria by which to filter them for usability or other. An ad-blocker like uOrigin can break online courseware and banking sites. If you install it on a student’s machine, and the ad block you consider ‘mandatory’ damages their experience, they might decide to drop (or fail) their course if they can’t figure out how to undo the damage you’ve done to their browser. Non-experts cannot repair the issues caused by experts inflicting these steps on their computers. Don’t be that expert.
- the_duke 8y ago
  I have noticed very, very few essential websites (like banking, University, Government sites, ...) breaking when using the standard lists of uBlock origin. Sites that break are almost always fishy. But I have started telling people that, when a site is not working properly, they may be able to fix it by clicking the shield button and then the big power button to turn the blocker off. That's usually enough. You are being a bit over-dramatic here I think. Most younger people are smart enough to try a different approach (eg using the phone or tablet instead).
  - floatingatoll 8y ago
    I’ve been doing personal computer support for family and friends since the 90s. My views derive from my experiences supporting them. I spent forty-five minutes teaching someone to press the home button on an iPad last year. You greatly overestimate the lower bounds of competence of unskilled folks.
    - bloopernova 8y ago
      And the lower bounds of confidence too. A lot of people I've encountered are quite scared of computers, and experience a significant amount of anxiety when asked to use a computer in front of someone. What to us is as natural as reaching for something, is to them a task to be feared, anticipated with dread, embarrassment and shame. All IT related people should spend time with such folks, as you did. It would definitely help the industry if we were all a lot more open and sympathetic to people who are mystified, scared, or angered by computers and software.

pavon 8y ago

Yes. I've tried implementing some of these on my wife's laptop after using them myself for some time and not having any problems. Then quickly learned that the sites she comes across while browsing are far far more likely to break with these tools than the sites that I (a computer geek) visit. I've had to dial it back significantly. Disconnect is the only blocker that has passed the wife test. I originally discounted it because the UI for dealing with breakage is worse than Privacy Badger or Ghostery (The default UI doesn't list blocked conent, the graph is harder to see host names at a glance, and the button to temporarily disable all blocking is not as obvious). But the fact that it is more conservative in what it blocks to begin with makes up for it. I still wouldn't enable it for people I don't live with though. I was also shocked at how frequently HTTPS Everywhere breaks things. I stopped using that myself (and I use uMatrix, with stricter than default base rules). I'm testing out Decentraleyes right now. It claims to be 100% non-breaking, and so far that appears to be the case. The problem it is addressing (tracking browsing habits via JS libraries) isn't one of the biggest privacy concerns out there, but if it doesn't break anything, and decreases bandwidth to boot, why not!

phalangion 8y ago
Pihole is the only blocker I have found that passes the wife test. Every thing else I've tried on her computer has ended in frustration.
- lostlogin 8y ago
  I just wish they were everywhere, it’s so excellent. What sort of percentages are you blocking and how extensive is your block list? I’ve got about 1 million domains blacklisted and get about 15-20% of traffic blocked.
  - fonosip 8y ago
    you can host your pihole in the cloud, and access it everywhere with an adblock split-tunnel VPN. here's a self-hosted howto https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/doc/howto.html https://ba.net/adblock/vpn/doc/howto.html

mosselman 8y ago

Firefox now has basic ad-blocking built-in using Disconnect's lists, which is very cool. I use ublock in combination with privacy badger. In ublock I block all third-party requests and enable sites one by one. I had to leave Safari on my laptop with only the basic ad-blocking since my wife can't use my Firefox's ultra hard blocking situation.

pbhjpbhj 8y ago
I searched but couldn't find anything suggesting they're ad-blocking by default -- what they do have, eg https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2019/01/30/firefox-makes-ad-tracker-dodging-easier-for-privacy-conscious-users/ https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2019/01/30/firefox-makes-ad..., is ability to block trackers. But it's only default enabled in "private" mode. Could you backup your statement? Mozilla got a huge sum of money from Google last time I checked (a few months ago), so it would be amazing if they were allowed by Google to enable ad-blocking as a default (unless there was whitelisting that included Google).
- mosselman 8y ago
  The information is right in the article you posted. I never used the word 'default'.

andrepd 8y ago

>They will result in an endless litany of broken banking websites, annoying support calls, memory issues, and in general a terrible user experience for others. This is some FUD you got going on here. Changing DNS will break notjing. Neither will blocking referrals, blocking trackers, blocking ads. In the rare case it does, you're one click away to disable everything! Neither will your system get slower, much to the contrary you will save memory, network data, and battery.

rashkov 8y ago
A few minutes ago, my ad blocker broke the login form of my cellphone provider. A non-technical user would probably not think to turn off the ad-blocker, and would assume that the website is broken. Not being able to log into your phone provider (or bank) is a pretty serious inconvenience which should not be taken lightly.
- gdfasfklshg4 8y ago
  If a login form breaks because of an ad-blocker then the site is broken. Ad-blockers have a bigger market share than most browsers!
  - rashkov 8y ago
    I agree that the website is the thing that is broken. Their code looked like this: reportToTracker('userActionSubmit'); submitForm(); The first line threw an exception. They should have surrounded that line with a try/catch block. And they should have tested against popular adblockers as well as popular browsers. But it's also within their right to not care about adblockers, and live with the consequences of upset customers. Unfortunately, very few customers will complain, so this becomes an externalized cost which the website owner never sees. Practically speaking, if I install an adblocker on my friend's computer, and their mobile provider website stops working, then I personally feel some responsibility for making my friend's web experience a bit worse.
  - gruez 8y ago
    >Ad-blockers have a bigger market share than most browsers! Browsers adhere to standards. Meanwhile, there are hundreds/thousands of filter subscription combinations that people use, along with several adblocking extensions.

npsimons 8y ago

> Please don’t apply these steps to non-technical people’s browsers. They will result in an endless litany of broken banking websites, annoying support calls, memory issues, and in general a terrible user experience for others. I apply these solutions on a shared laptop, but I do so precisely because it shouldn't be used for things like banking. It doesn't get heavily used for web browsing anyway, and having these extensions installed is more than likely to save me (as the resident IT guy) tons of headaches in the long run. It's not a binary thing; there are shades of gray where this is highly appropriate. ETA: I also used to do this on my spouse's laptop. Didn't cause too many issues once we got past the initial hurdles.