Which Ad Blocker are you using?

Rod


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In recent threads related to our combined recent issues logging into MacForums either on a browser or the iOS app the subject of Ad Blockers has come up a few times.

I have mentioned that I have whitelisted MacForums on Safari because I realise this is how it pays for itself and really they're not that much of an inconvenience anyway.

But I have just this week installed AdGuard on my MBPr for all of those sites that are absolutely saturated in ads and actually slow my browser.

AdGuard is a system wide ad blocker with a menu bar icon to allow control of it's functions and it required a helper app specific for Safari.
So I was wondering what others use and what were people's thoughts on a system wide ad blocker?

AdGuard is also available for iOS and although I haven't tried it myself it would be interesting to see how well it would function across apps like the MacForums app and others.
 

Slydude

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I was trying AdBlock Plus and Kaboom with Kaboom now off and relying on AdBlock Plus in Safari. I added Magic Lasso today to test it.

AdBlock Plus has been working well for me but today I went to YouTube for the first time in probably two weeks. I noticed that lots of videos do not start as they should when the play button is clicked. If I use Chrome the videos load fine and play (with the ads of course).

I just started troubleshooting this today so I've still got some work to do.
 

IWT


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I only use the fully-paid-for version of AdGuard. I've had no problems at all. I only use it on my iMac because where I do 90+ per cent of my browsing.

I used to use AdBlock, then AdBlockPlus along with Ghostery.

As far as I can see AdGuard does the job of all the others - blocks ads according to my wishes, blocks trackers, and blocks "threats". It gives details of the number of these blocked; along with the number of MB of data saved.

It has an Advanced set of options which I quietly ignore. Worth the money, I'd say.

Shouldn't need to say, but will: I have absolutely no connections with this app, financial or otherwise.

Ian

PS I use Safari exclusively (unless a very special need arises for which I use Chrome, normally).
 
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Rod

Rod


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Hmm, thanks Ian. I though I might try it with anti tracking switched on, I currently use Ghostery but if AdGuard will do the job, well....
I am also using Duck Duck Go as a search engine more and more which gives quite different results to search sometimes even though I always find what I want if my parameters are tight enough.

Ian are you using the Popup Blocker extension under Preferences > Extensions?

Slydude, I have used AdBlock and AdBlock Plus in the past, after them I was using nothing other than Ghostery for a while but got overloaded on some sites.

I still think Ghostery is a great product which does what it claims to do but things change and new products appear. I am going to put AdGuard on my iPhone as it seems to work well on the MBP and see how good it is. Might save me a bit of data use on 3G if it does what it claims.
 
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Rod

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Oh, and I haven't tried Kaboom at all.
Anyway I just installed AdGuard on my iPhone and its had one very noticeable effect. I had to try a couple of times to confirm it but I no longer get the full page ad on the MacForums app which used to popup about 10secs after opening the app and take about 5secs before I could exit it. Very annoying. I know its what keeps the lights on but as there is no paid, ad free version and the ads are for things like "Casual Shift Work" and stuff I don't want this is a positive boon. I'm not sure what else it will block but just thought I'd get back with that one.
 

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@Rod

I have no web extensions relating to Ads or tracking etc. 1PW & Evernote are my only extensions.

So, I rely exclusively on AdGuard.

Ian
 
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@Rod

I have no web extensions relating to Ads or tracking etc. 1PW & Evernote are my only extensions.

So, I rely exclusively on AdGuard.

Ian

Check in the settings of AdGuard > Preferences > Extensions. You will find there are optional extensions to the app, one of which is a popup blocker. I've turned it on.


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Oh, I beg your pardon, Rod, I thought you were referring to Safari extensions. There, I only have 1PW & Evernote. I got rid of all the Adblock etc extensions.

But within AdGuard itself; yes - I have all three ticked and I also use "Stealth Mode" which only became available very recently as an integral part of AdGuard.

If, for whatever reason, you don't see it, you can go to their website where it explains its functions and, if you like it, download it from there when it will become integrated into the AdGuard app itself. No extra cost.

Sorry about the misunderstanding.

Ian
 
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Rod

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No worries, I take then you are using the paid for version. I'm just on the free version as I'd never tried it before. So far though I like it.


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Yes, I have the paid version.

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Which Ad Blocker are you using?


I don't know if it will work with Safari, But I just went throughSome ad blocker trialsTo fix a problem I was havingSpecifically with this site.
See that thread here: https://www.mac-forums.com/forums/c...-row-grey-graphics-getting-2.html#post1819351

The blocker that did work completely and properly and fast was Adblocker Genesis Plus.

So far I haven't experienced any problems with it and have ended up disabling all the others I had been using or tried: AdBlock, AdBlock Plus, Fair AdBlocker.

Using Mavericks 10.9.5 and Google Chrome.



- Patrick
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Ublock, which is a Chrome extension. Works great.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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chscag

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Welcome to our forums.

Note.. that we have an iOS app that you can try instead of TapaTalk.

It's available for free in the app store: mac-forums app.
 
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Yes, I have the paid version.

For some time, I had been using the AdBlock Safari extension - then upgraded to Mojave & Safari 12.x on all of our Macs - wife was also complaining about 'ad blocking' on a number of her news sites - also, Apple had changed their 'Safari extension policies' w/ the newest browser version, as discussed on the AdGuard Website back in September 2018 - they have come out w/ a Safari extension, which I've put on my computers (first pic below); of course as Ian has stated, an AdBlock app is offered as a standalone paid product, which I've not tried - but would be curious how much more the latter offers over AdGuard's revised Safari extension? Thanks for any comments - would certainly not have a problem switching to the app. Dave
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Screen Shot 2019-04-20 at 2.07.24 PM.png
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Screen Shot 2019-04-20 at 2.10.57 PM.png
 
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Unlock, which is a Chrome extension. Works great.


Hey welcome to the mac-forums Lee.

BTW: I couldn't find the town or city of "Upstate" anywhere in SC using googlemaps or Apple Maps. :Smirk:

Unless this is your place:
Google Maps

Have a great Easter weekend.



- Patrick
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Hey welcome to the mac-forums Lee.

BTW: I couldn't find the town or city of "Upstate" anywhere in SC using googlemaps or Apple Maps. :Smirk:

Unless this is your place:
Google Maps

Hi Patrick & Lee_Bo - well, he may just mean the northern part of SC (Rock Hill - Spartanburg - Greenville) - a few weeks ago, we were on a short vacation on Kiawah Island, SC - I-26/I-77 passes Columbia and Rock Hill - Dave :)
 
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Welcome to our forums.

Note.. that we have an iOS app that you can try instead of TapaTalk.

It's available for free in the app store: mac-forums app.

Thanks, but with all the Apple and photography sites I frequent, TapaTalk just works better.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

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I'm currently running Adblock Plus with Safari under Mojave. I started dealing with an ad problem on YouTube and got that sorted. In the meantime I decided to whitelist this forum rather than block all ads. Since then I've noticed a couple of things:

1. The white space at the top of a page when ads are blocked does indeed appear to be due to the Amazon ad which is not very distracting at all.
2. If you are looking at the list of new posts and click the link to follow one of the threads and ad may appear in a pop up window (trying to kill that as it is annoying).
3. About every third or fourth pop up has asked the user to update Flash. I personally would not click the link in either ad. Looking at the url for both ads I'm not sure that either one goes directly to Adobe's download area. I'm not sggesting that either ad has nefarious intentions but I'm exercising an abundance of caution.
 
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Hi Patrick & Lee_Bo - well, he may just mean the northern part of SC


Thanks Dave, but actually that was just my poor attempt at some light humor and joking!!!


- Patrick
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