NotHereToPlayGames

That OLD TEST that cites 31% is over two years old according to the link where it compares some popular forks. I compared these "fasterfox" and "betterfox" user.js Placebo Effects just a month or two ago in IceCat v115 and COULD NOT CONFIRM any such performance increase. Nowhere near 31%. However, IceCat is based on v115 and I have no doubt that anything v128 or higher would give better results. Due to embedded telemetry, IceCat is the only Mozilla Fork I would ever consider using. I have been waiting for a v128 but it is still not here last I checked. "To each their own." You know better than that. Your former professor colleagues would be disappointed. Without a before and after quantifiable and REPEATABLE test, then any performance increase is nothing more than Placebo Effect. Sorry, that's just SCIENTIFIC, keep your "vision" and your "gut" out of the equation.

I use 1.59.0 here at work and hate it! Hate is probably too strong a word. I've been meaning to drop it back down to 1.52.2 but I have to literally .zip from home and attach to an MS Teams chat. Work "security" will not allow me to email it to myself and will not allow downloading. I use the "purge" function for lists quite often and newer versions of uBO removed that function. Unsure "when" it got removed or even "why". I read the changelog when it happened, just forget offhand as to when/why.

I know Chinese and I even outsource portions of my department to China. That video is biased. Plain and simple. The reality is that China is not that much different then other countries (if I may be so bold to say it that way). At least in terms of socio-economic "class". The issue (at least here in the USA) is that we have something like ONE IN THREE that are addicted to drugs or alcohol and these ONE IN THREE can't get off their butt to get a haircut so much as once every six months let alone hold a "job" of any kind. Do other countries have that ONE IN THREE addiction issue? That would be an interesting study! Here in the USA, if you work hard, you do well. If you think you work hard but really do NOT, only doing what it takes to live "paycheck to paycheck", then sorry for the lack of empathy, but you get no respect from me! Or something like that...

7zip also works. I tend to use Uniextract for rarer archive types than just a .zip renamed as a .crx. A .crx is just a .zip with the extension's private key included as metadata. Any .zip tool will extract them. Then I use Chrome/Chromium to repackage as a .crx + .pem.

Correct! I do not auto update and leave an older version ON PURPOSE. As far as I am concerned, the only ONLY ONLY reason to ever upgrade from a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" version is because the older version is now broken. We uBlock Origin users have a common flaw! That flaw is that uBlock does not publish the actual LISTS that it uses! Most are published by Adblock Plus and that results in ERRORS when designed-for-ABP lists are used by uBO. Each and every one of us has a method to *track* those ERRORS - ie, click on the "eyeball" and open the List Asset Viewer. These 19 Errors, for example, is from uBlock 1.62.0 in Chromium v131 with an updated-just-now list. That list also has *ERRORS* in uBlock 1.52.2 in Chromium v122 - but it is my ONLY list with ERRORS in 1.52.2 whereas 1.62.0 has SEVERAL lists with errors! I run 14 lists here at home. I do jump through the hoops to make sure that those lists are working well with each other. EasyList Cookie Notices, as one example, has an ERROR when ran on uBO 1.62.0 but does not have an error when ran on uBO 1.52.2, same EXACT list used in both, errors in newest, does not error in older. I could list other lists also. But that example "teaches you how to fish" so you can start feeding yourself. Newer is not always better!

All true. I'm not running a 20-30yr old computer so my computer is fast enough to not be concerned with the effect of 3 extensions doing the work of 1. That is an ENTIRELY different matter then a web browser's "naked benchmarks" (ie, no extensions) indicating a performance baseline. I think you are now beginning to see why this thread (and others like it) never gain any traction. What I have works for me, not you. What you have works for you, not me. What person C has works for person C, but not you or me.

Did you install 1.53.0 from the Chrome Web Store (or similar)? If so, I submit that that is why (assuming you do not use UNGOOGLED CHROMIUM as that is technically the only Chrome/Chromium Fork that truly breaks the line-of-communication with Chrome Web Store). I think Brave does also, but I've never actually used Brave. Another "trick" is to MODIFY the extension before installing. Extensions have a 32-digit "checksum". It is the numbers you see after chrome-extension:// in the address bar whenever you go to an extension's settings/options. By repacking the extension then installing from your repack but just adding your own "notes.txt" file, as an example, YOU CHANGE THE CHECKSUM and now even Chrome Web Store won't even recognize what it is!

This is your hobby/obsession, not mine. No way in Hades will I install PB. Nothing against PB, per se. But I *never* install *any* extension without scouring through its source code and I have no interest in scouring PB's source code. I cite Tampermonkey as an example. I had it scoured and modified LONG before I ever started using it. And look what using it "as-is" did to anybody that tried to use it in Supermium (assuming you follow those discussions as well). PB "used to" be in the tech-news quite a bit for violating privacy in order to protect privacy. Though I have not seen it in *recent* tech-news, so that reference is a bit dated (unsure of how dated, months or years, no clue).

Yep. As I previously stated, Router config (which includes DNS blocking!) + DNS hosts file is the first line of defense, above and beyond any extension or Proxomitron-like app.

Plus, it seems to me that your latest is revealing that uBlock *does not work by itself* and REQUIRES you to use Privacy Badger in conjunction with uBlock in order to meet your needs. The same goes here! uBlock does not meet my needs by itself. Using it alongside uMatrix DOES meet my needs.

Technically true. But not for the way in which I use them uBlock is for public lists only, no "my rules". uMatrix is "my rules" only, no public lists. uMatrix is intentionally set to BLOCK *ALL* third-party connections. *ALL* of them. This works 1,000,000% for me. Not claiming it to be "for everyone". Me using uBlock + uMatrix is no different than you using uBlock + Privacy Badger. You have a "use" for Privacy Badger (I think you've also used Ghostery), I do not! "To each their own." That's why this topic hasn't gained much traction. Everybody has what works for them. People "hear" uBlock + uMatrix and make assumptions on "how" I couple them with each other, et cetera. Again, "works for me, not claiming it to be 'for everyone'".

The trackers are blocked in my config NOT by relying on uBlock lists alone but by uBlock lists in addition to uMatrix blocking *ALL* third-party *crap*. In the case of your mediaite example, no trackers are allowed on my end. BUT if I want to actually watch the video, I have to manually enable uMatrix's block of YouTube. Which is the way that I want it - block all CRAP until I manually intervene and decide MANUALLY to unblock.

After a 22/23 Year Run, I think I will be abandoning Proxomitron/Proxomitron Reborn. "It's been a good run." While I still consider it to be THE Swiss Army Knife for every web browser because it DOES EVERYTHING in ONE PROGRAM, it's just become "easier" to not rely on ONE PROGRAM doing the job of uBlock, uMatrix, Stylus, and Tampermonkey! But rather to rely on the GUIs of uBlock, uMatrix, Stylus, and Tampermonkey to all do "their thing" instead. I'll call it a trial period for now, as there are a TON of things that I relied on Proxomitron "for" that I will miss big time, but that should also be able to ported over to uBlock, uMatrix, Stylus, or Tampermonkey. I know that one thing I am going to miss MOST OF ALL is how I used Proxomitron to kill "timers". When I am logged into my credit card or checking account and "reconciling" my statements, I will miss my Proxomitron allowing me to sit "idle" on a web page for an HOUR if I feel like it taking that long but the web site NOT LOGGING ME OUT, no matter how long I sit "idle". Granted, I realize that "kids" nowadays don't even know what "reconciling" a bank statement even is, lol.

<excerpt from Reuters> Risks include "the possibility that the Chinese government could use (TikTok) to control data collection on millions of users or control the recommendation algorithm, which could be used for influence operations," Wray told U.S. lawmakers. <excerpt> Which came first, the chicken or the egg? To me, it all boils down to DATA COLLECTION. The algorithm and the influence is DEFINED by the DATA COLLECTION. Without the DATA, there is no INFLUENCING. Data Collection violates Privacy Rights. So to me, the bottom denominator is the privacy rights. But agreed - "potatoe, potato"...

An oldie but goodie -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5rYfZtAI88

<not worth it> </not>

While "semantically" true, you may be surprised at just how much of an overlap there is between the two "classifications".

I should add that I have never witnessed a "speed decrease" by having 'too many' lists! Here at work, I use 9 lists. Our company firewall, for only God Knows, blocks any-and-all AdGuard lists! At home, I add 5 lists (for a total of 14!), all five at home that can not be used here at work are AdGuard lists.

Not sure "where you're going" with the question. I myself would rather have a "list" of 500,000 than a list of 100,000 even if my browsing habits only ever "triggers" 10,000 of the 100,000. "To each their own."

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1299771/tiktok-global-user-age-distribution/

To me, an "ad" and a "tracker" is one in the same. The problem with ad blockers is that the REQUEST for the ad has ALREADY BEEN MADE if your extension/list is blocking it, so that request is a "tracker". The advertiser doesn't need for you to "see" the ad for them to compile databases and statistics and marketing and demographics and whatever else.

lol, oh good grief

I would submit that the actual extension being used is less important than the combination of "lists" that are used. Especially when several "lists" overlap multiple extensions. Pick a list and there are DOZENS of extensions that "use" that list.

Other. Router config + DNS hosts file + Proxomitron Reborn + uBlock Origin + uMatrix + Stylus + Tampermonkey A couple of my YouTube extensions also "block ads", but the ads never make it past my other defenses for them to even perform a block (and the extension's ad-block functionality is too often broken by YouTube "updates"). They all work hand-in-hand to block ads.

Yep, that's what I use also (I referred to it as "Classic Shell" previously, but it is indeed called "Open-Shell"). But that is now "off-topic". The original post was not in the StartIsBack section whereas it is now.