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> There’s an open source Android browser (now seemingly abandoned) that implements ad-blocking functionality > The problem is that this browser has a very seri

> There’s an open source Android browser (now seemingly abandoned) that implements ad-blocking functionality > The problem is that this browser has a very serious flaw. It tries to download filters updates on every startup, and on Android it may happen lots of times per day. It can even happen when the browser is running in the background EasyList should be offered as a version-controlled copy you grab once, that then gets bundled with an app, rather than offering a download to be called from an app: https://easylist.to/easylist/easylist.txt https://easylist.to/easylist/easylist.txt (Currently down as of writing). The only caveat is such a list needs to be updated, so then a version system should be implemented for EasyList and you periodically bundle the new version via app updates. It would save a lot of bandwidth doing this.

stillbourne 4y ago
You can use firefox on android and install ad block on it as a plugin
- ElectricalUnion 4y ago
  How does that help when you can't download easylist anymore since it's under DDoS?
muststopmyths 4y ago
Call me lazy but I’d just support an If-modified-since header in such a simple case and call it good
- comboy 4y ago
  Bad app will just brutally fetch it every time with not even a cache on its side. As a quick fix, there are many options for limiting per IP per timespan, e.g. fail2ban, you could configure it to punish bad apps without crippling functionality for others. Well, maybe crippling a little bit in some very special use cases, still better than it simply not working.
- kevincox 4y ago
  The list does support an ETag and the 304 even appears to not be rate-limited by Cloudflare.
Maxburn 4y ago
PiHole and PFBlockerng are two big ones that use these resources too and setting those up it struck me as it did you that simply polling these resources on a set schedule was a waste. Podcasting 2.0 has been talking about podping as a solution because podcasting basically has the same problem with periodic polling of the RSS feed. Basically you subscribe and then receive notice there's been an update, THEN you go get it. https://www.podcasthelpdesk.com/podping-and-other-stuff-with-dave-jones-from-podcast-index-and-podcasting-2-0-phd165/ https://www.podcasthelpdesk.com/podping-and-other-stuff-with...
- RobotToaster 4y ago
  The difference is pihole only updates weekly.
  - Maxburn 4y ago
    Didn't know that, in fact clicking around in the UI I don't see a way to change that so good on them for being friendly in this area. PFBlocker seems to default to once a day.
    - tssva 4y ago
      To change when pihole updates you edit the cron entry at /etc/cron.d/pihole.
      - Maxburn 4y ago
        That's what I meant, it's buried in a config file. Not one of those things that should be surfaced in the UI that opens it up to abuse.
pwinnski 4y ago
They're offering a text file. Presumably with an If-modified-since header, although it's hard to check now. There is no approach you can describe that doesn't run afoul of the described badly-behaved browser app which willfully retrieves the entire file afresh at every init. If it can be downloaded, it will be downloaded directly by the badly-behaved mobile apps.

stillbourne 4y ago

You can use firefox on android and install ad block on it as a plugin

ElectricalUnion 4y ago
How does that help when you can't download easylist anymore since it's under DDoS?

muststopmyths 4y ago

Call me lazy but I’d just support an If-modified-since header in such a simple case and call it good

comboy 4y ago
Bad app will just brutally fetch it every time with not even a cache on its side. As a quick fix, there are many options for limiting per IP per timespan, e.g. fail2ban, you could configure it to punish bad apps without crippling functionality for others. Well, maybe crippling a little bit in some very special use cases, still better than it simply not working.
kevincox 4y ago
The list does support an ETag and the 304 even appears to not be rate-limited by Cloudflare.

Maxburn 4y ago

PiHole and PFBlockerng are two big ones that use these resources too and setting those up it struck me as it did you that simply polling these resources on a set schedule was a waste. Podcasting 2.0 has been talking about podping as a solution because podcasting basically has the same problem with periodic polling of the RSS feed. Basically you subscribe and then receive notice there's been an update, THEN you go get it. https://www.podcasthelpdesk.com/podping-and-other-stuff-with-dave-jones-from-podcast-index-and-podcasting-2-0-phd165/ https://www.podcasthelpdesk.com/podping-and-other-stuff-with...

RobotToaster 4y ago
The difference is pihole only updates weekly.
- Maxburn 4y ago
  Didn't know that, in fact clicking around in the UI I don't see a way to change that so good on them for being friendly in this area. PFBlocker seems to default to once a day.
  - tssva 4y ago
    To change when pihole updates you edit the cron entry at /etc/cron.d/pihole.
    - Maxburn 4y ago
      That's what I meant, it's buried in a config file. Not one of those things that should be surfaced in the UI that opens it up to abuse.

pwinnski 4y ago

They're offering a text file. Presumably with an If-modified-since header, although it's hard to check now. There is no approach you can describe that doesn't run afoul of the described badly-behaved browser app which willfully retrieves the entire file afresh at every init. If it can be downloaded, it will be downloaded directly by the badly-behaved mobile apps.