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Get a DNS Sink (such as pfblockerNG-devel). Works without Add-Ons or client config and in any browser. uBlock Origin is really only used on my computer for when

Get a DNS Sink (such as pfblockerNG-devel). Works without Add-Ons or client config and in any browser. uBlock Origin is really only used on my computer for when I am not at home.

ayushnix 5y ago
No DNS based solution comes anywhere close to what uBO offers. You can hide elements you don't like. You can block individual scripts or resources in a web page, even if they are first party resources. No DNS sink solution can do that. Browsing the internet would be an extremely bad experience for me if I just relied on a DNS sink.
- Helmut10001 5y ago
  Generally, I agree - the two complement each other. The difference is that uBO is client side and its use can be detected. A DNS sink will work, no matter what was configured on the server end. Further, the DNS sink will hide elements - everywhere ADs are placed I see simple whitespace. Finally, scripts are blocked from even getting loaded - e.g. stats for the top scripts blocked today (2 hours in) for me: Count:Type:Blocked Domain 4154:DNSBL_A:browser.pipe.aria.microsoft.com; 445:DNSBL_A:googleads.g.doubleclick.net; 421:DNSBL_A:www.googleadservices.com; 414:DNSBL_A:app-measurement.com; 356:DNSBL_A:in.treasuredata.com; 283:DNSBL_A:incoming.telemetry.mozilla.org; 254:DNSBL_A:reports.crashlytics.com; 239:DNSBL_A:config.inmobi.com; 146:DNSBL_A:telemetry.sdk.inmobi.com; 125:DNSBL_A:www.googletagmanager.com;
  - ayushnix 5y ago
    > Further, the DNS sink will hide elements - everywhere ADs are placed I see simple whitespace. I find those leftover empty spaces extremely annoying. Imagine being interrupted by a big portion of nothing in the middle of an article. uBO hides those empty spaces as well. And no, I don't use or like Reader Mode. It's yet another click I need to do to just read an article. > Finally, scripts are blocked from even getting loaded - e.g. stats for the top scripts blocked today (2 hours in) for me: That doesn't look like individual script blocking to me, you're just blocking domains. If the script you want to block is part of the first party domain itself, you can't just block it using a DNS sinkhole. At this point, I'd go as far as to say that a web browser which doesn't support the complete capabilities of uBO, considering things like CNAME tracking exist, is a user hostile web browser. This includes all Chromium based browsers. https://blog.apnic.net/2020/08/04/characterizing-cname-cloaking-based-tracking/ https://blog.apnic.net/2020/08/04/characterizing-cname-cloak...
MichaelBurge 5y ago
A DNS sink seems wrong - what if websites do the DNS lookup themselves and emit an IP address instead of sending the client a domain name?
- Kerbonut 5y ago
  Did you just describe DNS over HTTPS (DoH) which a DNS sink would not be able to block?
  - MichaelBurge 5y ago
    No, it looks like that protocol in RFC 8484 uses "application/dns-message" MIME type for its messages, whereas I was thinking the web server could replace domains with IPs in the contents of HTML/Javascript/CSS files sent to the browser("text/html" or "application/javascript" MIME types).
top_kekeroni_m8 5y ago
Would love to hear how you block Youtube ads like this :)

Get a DNS Sink (such as pfblockerNG-devel). Works without Add-Ons or client config and in any browser. uBlock Origin is really only used on my computer for when I am not at home.

ayushnix 5y ago

No DNS based solution comes anywhere close to what uBO offers. You can hide elements you don't like. You can block individual scripts or resources in a web page, even if they are first party resources. No DNS sink solution can do that. Browsing the internet would be an extremely bad experience for me if I just relied on a DNS sink.

Helmut10001 5y ago
Generally, I agree - the two complement each other. The difference is that uBO is client side and its use can be detected. A DNS sink will work, no matter what was configured on the server end. Further, the DNS sink will hide elements - everywhere ADs are placed I see simple whitespace. Finally, scripts are blocked from even getting loaded - e.g. stats for the top scripts blocked today (2 hours in) for me: Count:Type:Blocked Domain 4154:DNSBL_A:browser.pipe.aria.microsoft.com; 445:DNSBL_A:googleads.g.doubleclick.net; 421:DNSBL_A:www.googleadservices.com; 414:DNSBL_A:app-measurement.com; 356:DNSBL_A:in.treasuredata.com; 283:DNSBL_A:incoming.telemetry.mozilla.org; 254:DNSBL_A:reports.crashlytics.com; 239:DNSBL_A:config.inmobi.com; 146:DNSBL_A:telemetry.sdk.inmobi.com; 125:DNSBL_A:www.googletagmanager.com;
- ayushnix 5y ago
  > Further, the DNS sink will hide elements - everywhere ADs are placed I see simple whitespace. I find those leftover empty spaces extremely annoying. Imagine being interrupted by a big portion of nothing in the middle of an article. uBO hides those empty spaces as well. And no, I don't use or like Reader Mode. It's yet another click I need to do to just read an article. > Finally, scripts are blocked from even getting loaded - e.g. stats for the top scripts blocked today (2 hours in) for me: That doesn't look like individual script blocking to me, you're just blocking domains. If the script you want to block is part of the first party domain itself, you can't just block it using a DNS sinkhole. At this point, I'd go as far as to say that a web browser which doesn't support the complete capabilities of uBO, considering things like CNAME tracking exist, is a user hostile web browser. This includes all Chromium based browsers. https://blog.apnic.net/2020/08/04/characterizing-cname-cloaking-based-tracking/ https://blog.apnic.net/2020/08/04/characterizing-cname-cloak...

MichaelBurge 5y ago

A DNS sink seems wrong - what if websites do the DNS lookup themselves and emit an IP address instead of sending the client a domain name?

Kerbonut 5y ago
Did you just describe DNS over HTTPS (DoH) which a DNS sink would not be able to block?
- MichaelBurge 5y ago
  No, it looks like that protocol in RFC 8484 uses "application/dns-message" MIME type for its messages, whereas I was thinking the web server could replace domains with IPs in the contents of HTML/Javascript/CSS files sent to the browser("text/html" or "application/javascript" MIME types).

top_kekeroni_m8 5y ago

Would love to hear how you block Youtube ads like this :)