Worst Javascript/other intrusions?

[TaoPhoenix]

I have Ghostery, and AdBlock Edge and  which is some kind of spinoff from AdBlock. So leaving those details aside, I am still seeing worse and worse Javascript sliding ads, sometimes totally obliterating the page!

I have resisted NoScript, because that seems to take a lot of work and I think I want pages to work the first time because there's too many to pre-emptively add.

So anyway, this is a thread to vent about the sites that use the worst "sliders". (Rollovers, etc etc.)

Thread Inspirer is this:
http://www.azfamily....hbors-203695851.html
At least for me it slid a huge box sideways over the entire page.

Other ones I think I recall are some of the newspaper sites.

[eleman]

Yesscript

[TaoPhoenix]

Yesscript

-eleman (April 19, 2013, 12:06 PM)

Heh a bit terse there Eleman, but I like the philosophy and so I installed it! We'll see!

"Unlike NoScript, YesScript does absolutely nothing to improve your security. I believe that Firefox is secure enough by default and that blocking all scripts by default is paranoia. YesScript strives to remove hassles from your browsing experience, rather than add them."

Sure -there was never a security concern - just $%^$%&$& irritation!

Could take me a few days (weeks?) to really learn it though.

[eleman]

I usually use it to block search assistance offered by google (don't guess me when I type words into a search box, I know what I'm looking for), or similar useless javascript junk. It's efficient, does the job well, and doesn't break the web by default as noscript effectively does.

I really don't understand why people see this as an "all or none" business. Noscript is like an a-bomb, too powerful to be of any practical use. Yesscript is more of a taser gun. You can actually use one if you need it.

[TaoPhoenix]

I usually use it to block search assistance offered by google (don't guess me when I type words into a search box, I know what I'm looking for), or similar useless javascript junk. It's efficient, does the job well, and doesn't break the web by default as noscript effectively does.

I really don't understand why people see this as an "all or none" business. Noscript is like an a-bomb, too powerful to be of any practical use. Yesscript is more of a taser gun. You can actually use one if you need it.

-eleman (April 19, 2013, 12:27 PM)

Nice comment eleman, I caught on to the "a-bomb" nature of NoScript, which is why I didn't use it. Theoretically only some 10 sites need to be blocked, so I'll try to remember to report in when I set about config'ing that yes-script addon.

[eleman]

Just put a yesscript button on firefox's toolbar. Right click on the toolbar, go to customize, find yesscript's button, it looks like this:

Drag it and drop on Firefox toolbar. When you feel the need to use it, just click on the button while the naughty page is open. The button will now turn to brown. Reload the page (f5) and voila.

It won't forget which sites you blacklisted, so it's very handy. If you need to delist a site, just click on the button while it's brown. It will be removed from the blacklist again, and the button will return to its original color.

[TaoPhoenix]

You might be on to something Eleman.

Slate has a slider too. (I posted before without detailed checking...)

http://www.slate.com...r_for_centuries.html

There's that coffee article again...

So this might be really nice for all the newspaper sites. It's different for email, I think I need to keep all their scripting on, but I never ever want to see a slider on a newspaper site!

Edit: This seems to work fairly well behind Ghostery. Most of the "newsy" sites I see come from Yahoo News or Fark links, so that little "white/black" icon thingie is nice! I like and believe that sometimes Simple level solutions work.

[f0dder]

If you're going to block javascript, use noscript or don't bother. And it's really not that much bother once you get into the habit.

You can't really call ghostery an "adblockplus" spinoff, they do quite different (and complimentary) things.

The next step is RefControl+RequestPolicy... this does add a fair amount of management overhead for first-time visits to new sites, but IMHO it's worth it... you'll end up blocking a crapload of stuff that even ABP+Ghostery+NoScript misses.

You'll also want to turn RC+RP off temporarily if you're shopping, because it's way too much bother once credit-card handling stuff is involved... but it's really nice armor for your everyday surfing

[eleman]

If you're going to block javascript, use noscript or don't bother. And it's really not that much bother once you get into the habit.

You can't really call ghostery an "adblockplus" spinoff, they do quite different (and complimentary) things.

The next step is RefControl+RequestPolicy... this does add a fair amount of management overhead for first-time visits to new sites, but IMHO it's worth it... you'll end up blocking a crapload of stuff that even ABP+Ghostery+NoScript misses.

You'll also want to turn RC+RP off temporarily if you're shopping, because it's way too much bother once credit-card handling stuff is involved... but it's really nice armor for your everyday surfing

-f0dder (April 19, 2013, 03:40 PM)

And wear a condom at all times you surf the web. A radiation suit would also be useful. And have 3 bodyguards close by, as well as a secret service evacuation protocol.

Are you serious or are you just being sarcastic?

[TaoPhoenix]

If you're going to block javascript, use noscript or don't bother. And it's really not that much bother once you get into the habit.

You can't really call ghostery an "adblockplus" spinoff, they do quite different (and complimentary) things.

The next step is RefControl+RequestPolicy... this does add a fair amount of management overhead for first-time visits to new sites, but IMHO it's worth it... you'll end up blocking a crapload of stuff that even ABP+Ghostery+NoScript misses.

You'll also want to turn RC+RP off temporarily if you're shopping, because it's way too much bother once credit-card handling stuff is involved... but it's really nice armor for your everyday surfing

-f0dder (April 19, 2013, 03:40 PM)

Hmm. Let's start with the clarifications. AdBlock Edge is a spinoff of AdBlock Plus. Somewhere in there was an argument that AdBlock would in fact allow "nice ads" through.

Ghostery then I agree is different, and reports-then-shutdowns misc ad trackers. Sure whatever that company is gets some data, but I haven't tried to find an OSS replacement for Ghostery yet.

So THEN, we get to Javascript. Problem is, the few times I tried to totally nuke it, some page would come along on a 1-time shot I'd wish it would work. So NoScript was bad news. I kinda like Elemon's idea - Blacklist pages that are the worst offenders. ___ Site I posted above, but apparently Slate is pretty bad too.

[f0dder]

Are you serious or are you just being sarcastic?

-eleman (April 19, 2013, 03:46 PM)

Being serious.

Hmm. Let's start with the clarifications. AdBlock Edge is a spinoff of AdBlock Plus. Somewhere in there was an argument that AdBlock would in fact allow "nice ads" through.

-TaoPhoenix (April 19, 2013, 04:08 PM)

Yup, by default ABP allows some google adwords or whatever, but there's a config option to block entirely. Can't say I don't understand the developer, and I believe it has caused perhaps a bit too much fuzz - I can certainly live with that option and its default... OTOH, perhaps things would've been worse if there hadn't been all that fuzz.

Ghostery then I agree is different, and reports-then-shutdowns misc ad trackers. Sure whatever that company is gets some data, but I haven't tried to find an OSS replacement for Ghostery yet.

-TaoPhoenix (April 19, 2013, 04:08 PM)

I don't believe it sends data unless you enable the "GhostRank" feedback thingy? But yes, the company behind is related to the ad business, so there's reason to be wary - still, unless somebody finds out it sneaks data back home without consent, it's a pretty decent addon

So THEN, we get to Javascript. Problem is, the few times I tried to totally nuke it, some page would come along on a 1-time shot I'd wish it would work. So NoScript was bad news. I kinda like Elemon's idea - Blacklist pages that are the worst offenders. ___ Site I posted above, but apparently Slate is pretty bad too.

-TaoPhoenix (April 19, 2013, 04:08 PM)

Sure, backlisting  will take care of annoyances on sites - but IMHO that's not a very good reason to do JavaScript blocking. I use it to drastically reduce the risk of drive-by infections, you really do need whitelisting against that. And once you get into the habit, it really isn't that much bother - only need a bit of fiddling when you visit a new domain.

But hey, I also avoid Flash and Java in my main browser - if I need to watch flash, I temporarily fire up Chrome for that specific URL. I only need Java for NemID, and that steaming pile of manure(*) is only allowed to run in a Linux VM.

(*): NemID, that is - while I despise applets with lots of bileful nerdrage, Java and the JVM itself are decent enough.

[TaoPhoenix]

New entry!

Career Builder has this big nasty box that slides down over 10% of the job ad you're reading! Yes, later I might "Apply now" but it's really bad design!

I am really liking QuickJS 1.1 as a fast and ruthless way to toggle that crap off and then only later if I want maybe to apply to something I can temporarily let it back on!

[J-Mac]

I use Ad Muncher and neither of the sites mentioned showed any floating ads for me.   

Jim

[TaoPhoenix]

I use Ad Muncher and neither of the sites mentioned showed any floating ads for me.   

Jim

-J-Mac (June 27, 2013, 11:38 AM)

I had tried Ad Muncher a while back but it felt like I was getting a performance hit so I took it out again. :/

[J-Mac]

Really? I haven't noticed any such hit. I do have a fairly monstrous machine though, so that might be the difference.

Jim

[TaoPhoenix]

Sure, backlisting  will take care of annoyances on sites - but IMHO that's not a very good reason to do JavaScript blocking.

-f0dder (April 22, 2013, 01:27 PM)

Some new updates are coming along.

My perspective is coming more from a toggable usability perspective, and I'm growing to like things like QuickJS more and more because you can see both versions of the page with "1 click". A big new entry to the topic is Chessbase's site, which is now pulling random games from the playchess server live. So 1-click the button and it goes away. But then the next page in when reviewing a news story, it *also* runs on Javascript! So then I want it back! Click off!

Forbes Magazine seems to have lot of widgets and sliders too. Click off!