3 ms·

Show HN: I made a tool that prevents websites from tracking you

31 points by sudo_cowsay 3mo ago

I know we are very wary of AI slop but disclaimer: AI was used. I don't think that it is slop though and it was mostly used for formatting.

rabidheuristics 3mo ago
What does this do that ublock doesn’t?
- sudo_cowsay 3mo ago
  It's not trying to match uBlock (that requires a lot of help from other people). However, on the other hand, it's IMO transparent and is a beginner friendly tool for people who want to easily audit and add features they want to be added (all pull requests are welcome!).
nasso_dev 3mo ago
[flagged]
- sudo_cowsay 3mo ago
  > using AI "only for formatting" is crazy, and is a crazy statement to make if you're trying to defend AI use Not trying to "defend it." More like letting HN now that I used it. > how much of this was truly made by you? I would say a good chunk of it was made by me. > how long have you been working on this? I have been working on it on and off in VS Code for about a couple of weeks. > can you tell us how it works exactly? It works by running through a preset list of domains and blocking those specific domains only (to prevent breaking websites via mass blocking). > what does it do differently compared to existing solutions? Read my response to rabidheuristics. > if you expect people to believe it's AI slop, maybe try to make it not look and smell like AI slop? That's the first time I've heard someone say they can smell AI slop. I am just a student who is working on a summer project. And even if I wasn't a student, you should not be barbarically interrogating someone on HN. AI slop is becoming an overused saying these days. While it originally meant "Lack of Utility" and "Errors and Hallucinations," it now seems to defined by anything made with AI, regardless of whether it's good or not. I have been using my own extension in my day to day life and while it may not be right for you, it's just something I wanted to share on this platform. Please respect boundaries.
ungreased0675 3mo ago
I would like to feed garbage to trackers, not block them. With LLMs it seems like I should be able to feed infinite garbage to trackers, which if done at scale would devalue entire datasets.
- sudo_cowsay 3mo ago
  I have never thought it that way. I think that's a wonderful idea! Have you ever tried making a tool that feeds false data to the trackers?
  - ahofmann 3mo ago
    You mean something like https://adnauseam.io https://adnauseam.io ?
    - sudo_cowsay 3mo ago
      That looks very interesting. I'll definitely look into it and possibly even use it!
- newb1234 3mo ago
  Doesn't that exist already? I can't remember the name though.
  - sudo_cowsay 3mo ago
    Found one: TrackMeNot
    - efilife 3mo ago
      it hasn't been maintained for the last 10 years. I wonder if it's even working. I thought he was looking for adnauseam
- adrianwaj 3mo ago
  ...and then get a micropayment to expose your "true self?"

31 points by sudo_cowsay 3mo ago

I know we are very wary of AI slop but disclaimer: AI was used. I don't think that it is slop though and it was mostly used for formatting.

rabidheuristics 3mo ago

What does this do that ublock doesn’t?

sudo_cowsay 3mo ago
It's not trying to match uBlock (that requires a lot of help from other people). However, on the other hand, it's IMO transparent and is a beginner friendly tool for people who want to easily audit and add features they want to be added (all pull requests are welcome!).

nasso_dev 3mo ago

[flagged]

sudo_cowsay 3mo ago
> using AI "only for formatting" is crazy, and is a crazy statement to make if you're trying to defend AI use Not trying to "defend it." More like letting HN now that I used it. > how much of this was truly made by you? I would say a good chunk of it was made by me. > how long have you been working on this? I have been working on it on and off in VS Code for about a couple of weeks. > can you tell us how it works exactly? It works by running through a preset list of domains and blocking those specific domains only (to prevent breaking websites via mass blocking). > what does it do differently compared to existing solutions? Read my response to rabidheuristics. > if you expect people to believe it's AI slop, maybe try to make it not look and smell like AI slop? That's the first time I've heard someone say they can smell AI slop. I am just a student who is working on a summer project. And even if I wasn't a student, you should not be barbarically interrogating someone on HN. AI slop is becoming an overused saying these days. While it originally meant "Lack of Utility" and "Errors and Hallucinations," it now seems to defined by anything made with AI, regardless of whether it's good or not. I have been using my own extension in my day to day life and while it may not be right for you, it's just something I wanted to share on this platform. Please respect boundaries.

ungreased0675 3mo ago

I would like to feed garbage to trackers, not block them. With LLMs it seems like I should be able to feed infinite garbage to trackers, which if done at scale would devalue entire datasets.

sudo_cowsay 3mo ago
I have never thought it that way. I think that's a wonderful idea! Have you ever tried making a tool that feeds false data to the trackers?
- ahofmann 3mo ago
  You mean something like https://adnauseam.io https://adnauseam.io ?
  - sudo_cowsay 3mo ago
    That looks very interesting. I'll definitely look into it and possibly even use it!
newb1234 3mo ago
Doesn't that exist already? I can't remember the name though.
- sudo_cowsay 3mo ago
  Found one: TrackMeNot
  - efilife 3mo ago
    it hasn't been maintained for the last 10 years. I wonder if it's even working. I thought he was looking for adnauseam
adrianwaj 3mo ago
...and then get a micropayment to expose your "true self?"