this post was submitted on 15 Oct 2024
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Privacy

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Google is purging ad-blocking extension uBlock Origin from the Chrome Web Store (www.techspot.com)
submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/privacy
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[–] [email protected] 50 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Best to switch to Firefox anyways, or even better privacy enhanced LibreWolf

This project is a custom and independent version of Firefox, with the primary goals of privacy, security and user freedom. LibreWolf is designed to increase protection against tracking and fingerprinting techniques, while also including a few security improvements. This is achieved through our privacy and security oriented settings and patches. LibreWolf also aims to remove all the telemetry, data collection and annoyances, as well as disabling anti-freedom features like DRM.

[–] FizzyOrange -1 points 2 months ago (4 children)

LibreWolf

Why are privacy/copyleft advocates so bad at naming?

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 months ago (1 children)

They usually don't have marketing departments or focus groups.

[–] FizzyOrange -2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You obviously don't need those to come up with a good name; just some taste. Signal is a great example. Ladybird and Servo are good browser names if you want to stick to that. LibreWolf? Jesus, come on guys. Forgejo is another terrible name I heard recently. Apparently it's Esperanto, like that makes it ok somehow.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Apparently it’s Esperanto, like that makes it ok somehow.

God forbid some non-anglophone culture enters our collective consciousness.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What would you call it instead?

We already have (had) Iceweasel, IceCat and Waterfox among others. All nice word plays on the original Firefox name. LibreWolf follows along the same path.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Mintest, after only just (*inhales)

13 YEARS

finally rebranded to... something starting with "Lua". And I already forget the rest of the name because FOSS people suck at naming.

And I only even remembered the first part because I had once written mods in Lua, Mintest's scripting language of choice. Good luck for name recognition with anybody else.

[–] andioop 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

As someone who doesn't mind this name, what makes it bad?

EDIT: Someone below said difficult pronunciation. So talking about it in real life would be difficult.

It also might be relevant that I am very bad at naming things myself.

[–] FizzyOrange 1 points 1 month ago

Difficult pronunciation and it also sounds like a lame "cool" name that a super nerd would think of.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 2 months ago

I purged chrome as a browser from my system a while ago

[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 months ago (2 children)

There's a MV3 alternate (same dev!) "uBlock Origin Lite" which this article completely misses out on mentioning: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ublock-origin-lite/ddkjiahejlhfcafbddmgiahcphecmpfh

There are certain websites and tools which need chrome/chromium making it a necessary evil; for example there's a new trend in firmware flashing of devices like ESP32 boards and HAM/GMRS radios which are web based and use Chrome tech. This new MV3 fork isn't as good as the original but it's better than nothing and does stop some ad trash.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Unless your firmware flasher is serving ads, and I really hope it isn't, there's no issue using chtome for things like that. Just use Firefox for everything else. It blocks more than just some ad trash. And you can have 2 browsers installed at the same time. They don't fight each other.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

why would you want a browser based firmware flasher? the web browser should surely not deal with hardware. you don't even get to know if the flashing code has changed, or verify it in Any way

I have already hated the grapheneos web flasher, even if its just made for those for whom themost basic computer terms area dufficult task, like download this file, type cmd into the start menu, press enter, paste this ~~command~~ text, press enter. but it could have been solved with a most simple gui executable too!

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Googles: "how to purge google from memory"

Everyone: Install Librewolf and Linux🌻

[–] Mikina 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

We've just been told yesterday that to reduce our attack surface, only Edge will be allowed on our workstations. Reasoning is that it's difficult to make sure everyone is properly updates their browser, and since Edge is handled by windows updates, it's easier to monitor proper updates.

While I understand that reasoning, the tradeoff between pretty small risk reduction associated with unlikely attack surface from different browsers, and the massive drop in employee satisfaction, is simply not worth it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

I use a mix of edge and chrome at work and Firefox and chrome at home. In boring work use (not signed into the browser, no extensions, no real customization), edge and chrome feel pretty similar to me. I will happily admit that I am using both basically out of the box and that if you're invested in the configuration of one it might be annoying to switch.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 months ago

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I wonder how many still won't switch.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Majority. Never underestimate the power of pre-installed software and default settings. There is a reason why Google is still paying Firefox big bucks to be the default search engine.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

its also the reason why in the U.S, the default messaging app is the most used. people are lazy unless forced to be given the option at the start.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 2 months ago

Many people don't even know what continent they live on and you expect them to switch web browsers?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Okay. I have purged Google chrome from my devices long ago.

[–] netizen 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I can't. Firefox on Android doesn't handle my personal certificate so it's a hassle to access gov sites

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

In that case you can try cromite for Android. It's a decent private and ad blocking browser based on chromium.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] netizen 2 points 2 months ago

That's to add an "authority". Done that. But firefox doesn't find a personal (id) cert signed by that CA (fnmt.es)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I already know that nobody will mention Vivaldi, or if they do, they will be drowned out by a chorus of voices shouting "Firefox", but if you like the chromium ecosystem or just don't like waiting for web pages to function, it's a great alternative with a built-in adblocker that doesn't depend on uBlock Origin.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Vivaldi is great. Sadly any mention of it gets downvoted by Firefox fanboys who don't understand we are on the same team.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Good thing I already stopped using chrome since about a year ag