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I remember some people saying Safari's extension changes and specific content blocker API would be a good thing because ad blockers would use less resources. T

I remember some people saying Safari's extension changes and specific content blocker API would be a good thing because ad blockers would use less resources. The change happened, uBlock Origin broke for Safari and here we are several years later and the Safari ad blocker ecosystem is an absolute joke and most of it barely works or demands subscription fees (and the ones that do are certainly not worth paying for because they don't even block YT ads)

latexr 5y ago
> and the ones that do are certainly not worth paying for because they don't even block YT ads AdGuard can[1] but it’s a cumbersome process. 1Blocker had to develop a bespoke solution but it works seamlessly[2]. [1]: https://adguard.com/en/article/how-to-block-ads-on-youtube.html https://adguard.com/en/article/how-to-block-ads-on-youtube.h... [2]: https://backstage.1blocker.com/how-to-block-youtube-ads-in-safari-with-1blocker-a9091cff160d https://backstage.1blocker.com/how-to-block-youtube-ads-in-s...
- ratww 5y ago
  AdBlock Pro for Safari also blocks YT, but without much ado and without hacks. It just uses the old APIs for blocking video. The bulk of the blocking work, however, is still done by the recommended blocking API. So far Apple seems happy with that.
  - gerash 5y ago
    It's such twisted economics for somebody to make a video, a platform to distribute it and an adblocker company to reap the benefits through its subscription fees. I'd argue the same folks are ok with looting Neiman Marcus stores during some protests because "they've rigged the system and are all rich anyways"
    - ratww 5y ago
      The one I posted is free, I have no idea why you're answering to me. I also don't like people doing bad things other people's property. This is why I use AdBlockers: to prevent those platforms from running shit I don't want on my computer.
happybuy 5y ago
That’s not true re the Safari ad blocker ecosystem. We develop a Safari ad blocker [1] that works on iOS and macOS which provides performant and private ad blocking. Unlike previous ad blockers using other extension mechanisms, it also can’t see which web pages you visit. We recently released best in class YouTube ad blocking features too. The mechanisms for doing this is different, but the ad blocking results are as good with better performance. [1] https://www.magiclasso.co/ https://www.magiclasso.co/
- azalemeth 5y ago
  For me, once Apple made that decision, I started migrating away from Safari, and I haven't tried your product. I note that it does have a pro subscription option -- which I'm not opposed to -- but I do also note that this seems to be much more common than the "donationware" licensing model of most other browser extensions. Out of curiosity, can Magic Lassoo present a detailed list of domain connection attempts by category, i.e. do anything like uMatrix does? The thing that keeps me on FF, even on MacOS (aside from warm fuzzy open source feelings) is that I really think the extension ecosystem is the best -- uMatrix, greasemonkey and the ilk are brilliant. I like Safari's isolated private browsing mode most of the time, and I like its dev tools. But the adblock situation is just so much better on FF; it makes the web usable again whilst respecting my privacy ideals. I really like being able to say 'Thou shalt not set thine cookie and contact all of these domains via an XHR request' and the site just...continuing to work.
  - zwaps 5y ago
    No matter what all these adblocker advertisements tell you here on HN: Safari only allows these extensions to have a single blocklist and then your choice is whether to enable or disable the adblocker extension, with all its fixed and non-dynamic rules, on the website in question. From that perspective, Safari adblockers are virtually identical, simply because they are all using the same interface and (I would suspect) resell blocklists you get to use for free elsewhere. It's people selling you a subscription product that is vastly inferior to any free extension on Firefox (not on iOS obv) and the same discussion has been had many times before. I mean, I don't want to be a negative nancy here, but it does get annoying with these ads that seemingly have lost all perspective of how bad adblocking on Safari truly is.
imbnwa 5y ago
Enrolled in the Orion browser beta and haven't looked back. I get Safari's engine with all the energy optimziations with the ability to run uBlock Origin, Dark Reader, and they're working on greater WebExtensions API support. I still use Safari for banking and eCommerce because its beta, but for everything else its wonderful. I even get a quality vertical tabs implementation built into the browser; can also shrink the top bar to pre-14/15 size in combination. The browser will eventually be behind a paywall once the beta is up, but I'm all onboard for paying for an alternative to both Chromium and non-XUL Gecko.
gerash 5y ago
wait, why do you think you're entitled to watch YT and neither pay a penny nor be shown an advertisement? Because "the system is rigged bruh"?
- grishka 5y ago
  I own my device and I get to decide what it is and is not allowed to load and display, that simple. Also, implied contracts aren't a thing.

latexr 5y ago

> and the ones that do are certainly not worth paying for because they don't even block YT ads AdGuard can[1] but it’s a cumbersome process. 1Blocker had to develop a bespoke solution but it works seamlessly[2]. [1]: https://adguard.com/en/article/how-to-block-ads-on-youtube.html https://adguard.com/en/article/how-to-block-ads-on-youtube.h... [2]: https://backstage.1blocker.com/how-to-block-youtube-ads-in-safari-with-1blocker-a9091cff160d https://backstage.1blocker.com/how-to-block-youtube-ads-in-s...

ratww 5y ago
AdBlock Pro for Safari also blocks YT, but without much ado and without hacks. It just uses the old APIs for blocking video. The bulk of the blocking work, however, is still done by the recommended blocking API. So far Apple seems happy with that.
- gerash 5y ago
  It's such twisted economics for somebody to make a video, a platform to distribute it and an adblocker company to reap the benefits through its subscription fees. I'd argue the same folks are ok with looting Neiman Marcus stores during some protests because "they've rigged the system and are all rich anyways"
  - ratww 5y ago
    The one I posted is free, I have no idea why you're answering to me. I also don't like people doing bad things other people's property. This is why I use AdBlockers: to prevent those platforms from running shit I don't want on my computer.

happybuy 5y ago

That’s not true re the Safari ad blocker ecosystem. We develop a Safari ad blocker [1] that works on iOS and macOS which provides performant and private ad blocking. Unlike previous ad blockers using other extension mechanisms, it also can’t see which web pages you visit. We recently released best in class YouTube ad blocking features too. The mechanisms for doing this is different, but the ad blocking results are as good with better performance. [1] https://www.magiclasso.co/ https://www.magiclasso.co/

azalemeth 5y ago
For me, once Apple made that decision, I started migrating away from Safari, and I haven't tried your product. I note that it does have a pro subscription option -- which I'm not opposed to -- but I do also note that this seems to be much more common than the "donationware" licensing model of most other browser extensions. Out of curiosity, can Magic Lassoo present a detailed list of domain connection attempts by category, i.e. do anything like uMatrix does? The thing that keeps me on FF, even on MacOS (aside from warm fuzzy open source feelings) is that I really think the extension ecosystem is the best -- uMatrix, greasemonkey and the ilk are brilliant. I like Safari's isolated private browsing mode most of the time, and I like its dev tools. But the adblock situation is just so much better on FF; it makes the web usable again whilst respecting my privacy ideals. I really like being able to say 'Thou shalt not set thine cookie and contact all of these domains via an XHR request' and the site just...continuing to work.
- zwaps 5y ago
  No matter what all these adblocker advertisements tell you here on HN: Safari only allows these extensions to have a single blocklist and then your choice is whether to enable or disable the adblocker extension, with all its fixed and non-dynamic rules, on the website in question. From that perspective, Safari adblockers are virtually identical, simply because they are all using the same interface and (I would suspect) resell blocklists you get to use for free elsewhere. It's people selling you a subscription product that is vastly inferior to any free extension on Firefox (not on iOS obv) and the same discussion has been had many times before. I mean, I don't want to be a negative nancy here, but it does get annoying with these ads that seemingly have lost all perspective of how bad adblocking on Safari truly is.

imbnwa 5y ago

Enrolled in the Orion browser beta and haven't looked back. I get Safari's engine with all the energy optimziations with the ability to run uBlock Origin, Dark Reader, and they're working on greater WebExtensions API support. I still use Safari for banking and eCommerce because its beta, but for everything else its wonderful. I even get a quality vertical tabs implementation built into the browser; can also shrink the top bar to pre-14/15 size in combination. The browser will eventually be behind a paywall once the beta is up, but I'm all onboard for paying for an alternative to both Chromium and non-XUL Gecko.

gerash 5y ago

wait, why do you think you're entitled to watch YT and neither pay a penny nor be shown an advertisement? Because "the system is rigged bruh"?

grishka 5y ago
I own my device and I get to decide what it is and is not allowed to load and display, that simple. Also, implied contracts aren't a thing.