ublockorigin.com/
No one likes ads. They are annoying, intrusive, and often result from another party selling our personal data. Advertisements and commercials have been one of the major problems with media for a long time, one that we have had to put up with reluctantly.
There has been a recent pushback to advertisements and commercials, due in part to the increased availability of technology. This is also due to companies becoming overzealous with their advertising tactics-advertising has become an extremely profitable business model on its own, rather than a way for media companies to make extra money.
The ads at the very core of YouTube's business model are aggressive and require users to tolerate them in order to watch content for free. Those who are unwilling to put up with this type of marketing can simply pay for the service with their dollars, rather than their time watching ads.
Many social media sites sell our personal data to advertisers in order to make more money. This is where the real money is - in the big data business. Sites like Facebook and Instagram shamelessly sell our personal interests and browsing history to a number of companies that, then, use this information to sell us products that, statistically speaking, we are likely to want.
Sometimes this can be perceived as Convenient - I see quite a few Instagram ads for products that I would in fact enjoy - but as a matter of principle, it is in my opinion, a Gross Invasion of Privacy and Unethical.
Many people find it unrealistic to avoid using social media sites because so much depends on having a social media profile these days. This is one answer to avoiding advertising online, but when we look at the whole scope of ads on the internet, this solution would quickly turn into quitting the internet altogether if we didn't want to see ads. Fortunately, there is another way of avoiding ads that doesn't necessitate going off the grid and abandoning our favorite streaming services- a high-quality, powerful ad blocker.
Perhaps you have an ad blocker of some sort. For a long time, I used the standard extensions that are offered by most major web browsers. However, these proved not to be strong enough - especially when put up against the extremely ad-heavy free streaming sites that I like to use. Eventually, I figured out that if I wanted to continue using these free streaming sites (and enjoy them), I would have to find something better.
I found uBlock Origin through a Google search. It is a plugin that does not allow "acceptable ads." The other standout quality of uBlock Origin is that it is free and open source, which means that the developers are not motivated by profit.
History
This was not always the case for uBlock, which evolved from a free and open-source ad blocker. The whole reason that uBlock Origin came to be (as an evolution of the original software, uBlock) was as a return to form, a return to the origins of what uBlock was originally meant to be: a fully free, open-source ad blocker.
In April of 2015, Raymond Hill transferred the official repository for uBlock to Chris Aijoudi. Hill was frustrated with requests he was receiving and wanted to move the project away from interference. However, after the transfer, Hill forked uBlock himself and continued his anti-advertising efforts under his newly created software. This software would later be known as uBlock Origin. It is now completely separate from the original uBlock developed by Aijoudi.
Although uBlock has ceased development since 2015, it was acquired by AdBlock in July of 2018. As of February of 2019, uBlock (under the new AdBlock ownership) began allowing "acceptable ads," which are ads that the software allows through based on payments received.
Despite being an independent entity, uBlock Origin still allows ads. It is one of the few ad blockers left with integrity.
Design
There is not much to say about the design of uBlock Origin, seeing as it is a browser extension.Nonetheless, the extension itself is intuitive and user-friendly. Upon adding uBlock Origin to Google Chrome, I was immediately able to make use of it- like many VPNs, the add-on appears with a large power button at the top of its dropdown interface - quickly turn on or off according to your needs.
You will find additional features as well as some data about the effectiveness of uBlock Origin below the power button. The design is sparse, making it clear how to use uBlock Origin as well as how effective the extension has been.
Content and Features
UBlock Origin allows users to block ads and other intrusive content with great precision, giving them complete control over the ads they see and how they are blocked. In terms of ad blockers, UBlock Origin is easily the most features-rich one I have come across.
Specifically, you can choose to block all popups on a specific page, for instance by clicking a button. You can make these preferences permanent or choose to do this one time. Likewise, you can choose to block Large Media Elements, cosmetic filtering, and JavaScript. uBlock Origin does more than just block ads; it puts you in full control of your online experience.
You can take advantage of the software's Element Zapper Mode, which allows you to click on specific content on a web page and erase it. This is an extremely powerful feature. Just click on a piece of any website and watch it disappear before your eyes.
Mobile and Desktop Experience
It does not appear as if there is a mobile version of uBlock Origin. This is a major disappointment, because there are few solid ad blockers for mobile devices. As a result, mobile web browsing is usually the most inundated with ads - it is a wild jungle of commercialism. Sure, if you are a tech wiz, you can figure out a workaround for Android; but if you use iOS, you are sort of SOL.
Pricings and Plans
As I mentioned earlier, uBlock Origin is a free and open-source software with source code available on Git Hub. That being said, uBlock Origin survives on donations. So, if you have the means and you find yourself enjoying using uBlock Origin, I highly recommend considering donating - whatever you can afford to give to show your appreciation and help ensure that Hill and uBlock Origin continue to be able to stay afloat and provide everyone with the best, most fastidious ad blocking service on the web today.
Suggestions that I have for uBlock Origin
Honestly, I don't have many complaints. The one thing that would be nice, though, is if it were easier to undo individual actions committed with the extension. For instance, if I am using element zapper and I accidentally zap the wrong element, I should be able to undo that action without too much trouble. However, I struggled to figure out how to un-zap (if it is possible at all).
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