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badtz · Oct 5, 2004, 02:29 PM

Does anyone happen to know if there's something as easy to use as Adblock (firefox extension) .... for safari?

Since Mozilla/Sun/Macromedia/Apple are joining together for a universal plug-in format, does this mean Adblock will get to Safari in the future?

I find it MUCH easier to use/implement than PithHelmet.

Anyone else find Adblock very easy/useful?

Dr. Smoke · Oct 5, 2004, 04:01 PM

Can't help you with AdBlock, but I use the OmniWeb browser, which has very sophisticated ad-blocking functions built in: no plug-ins required. Something you may want to consider.

When looking for new applications, such as an equivalent to AdBlock for Safari, I recommend searching MacUpdate or Version Tracker.

demograph68 · Oct 5, 2004, 04:14 PM

CSS Ad Blocker

badtz · Oct 5, 2004, 04:53 PM

Originally posted by demograph68:
CSS Ad Blocker

I was considering using a css blocker ... but the drawback is that it doesn't add a contextual menu for on-the-fly blocking .......

ohm^n · Oct 5, 2004, 06:29 PM

Check out privoxy:

http://www.privoxy.org/

It does a really great job of blocking ads, and it's very customizable.

Open-Source/Free as well.

wataru · Oct 5, 2004, 06:39 PM

Yes, I love Adblock, and the lack of a free equivalent for Safari is one of the reasons I like Firefox so much more.

spiky_dog · Oct 5, 2004, 08:02 PM

Originally posted by wataru:
Yes, I love Adblock, and the lack of a free equivalent for Safari is one of the reasons I like Firefox so much more.

er, what's pithhelmet then?

http://culater.net/software/PithHelmet/PithHelmet.php

badtz · Oct 5, 2004, 08:35 PM

Originally posted by spiky_dog:
er, what's pithhelmet then?

http://culater.net/software/PithHelmet/PithHelmet.php

have you tried Adblock?

MUCH easier to use than pithhelmet.

spiky_dog · Oct 5, 2004, 08:40 PM

Originally posted by badtz:
have you tried Adblock?

MUCH easier to use than pithhelmet.

yeah, i use adblock for firefox. i don't find changing urls to regex or copying and pasting them into the pithhelmet preferences that difficult.

badtz · Oct 5, 2004, 10:36 PM

.... can it easily cut out iFrames?

ohm^n · Oct 5, 2004, 10:59 PM

I don't know if I've run into iFrames (example anyone?) so the latest version of Privoxy may deal with them by default.

If it doesn't, this page http://iceyboard.no-ip.org/privoxy/jobs/pcworld/ gives instructions on how to block 'em in Privoxy.

wataru · Oct 5, 2004, 11:23 PM

Originally posted by spiky_dog:
er, what's pithhelmet then?

http://culater.net/software/PithHelmet/PithHelmet.php

It's not really free.

I thought it was officially shareware now, but I see it's instead become donationware. Still, it slows Safari down significantly, and Adblock is nicer.

nooon · Oct 6, 2004, 08:21 AM

If you dig Adblock, why don't you just use Firefox as default? Firefox is shaping up very nicely and has been my default browser for ages.

wataru · Oct 6, 2004, 01:06 PM

Originally posted by nooon:
If you dig Adblock, why don't you just use Firefox as default? Firefox is shaping up very nicely and has been my default browser for ages.

I do. And Firefox has been my default as well for ages.

leperkuhn · Oct 6, 2004, 01:18 PM

Originally posted by ohm^n:
I don't know if I've run into iFrames (example anyone?) so the latest version of Privoxy may deal with them by default.

If it doesn't, this page http://iceyboard.no-ip.org/privoxy/jobs/pcworld/ gives instructions on how to block 'em in Privoxy.

rightguard.com uses iFrames, I worked with the developers on it.

badtz · Oct 6, 2004, 02:06 PM

Originally posted by nooon:
If you dig Adblock, why don't you just use Firefox as default? Firefox is shaping up very nicely and has been my default browser for ages.

I like them both actually.

It's just I'd like this extension to be available for Safari also

PithHelmet bogs down Safari too much, and the contextual menus for it aren't that nice.

With Adblock, you can modify the rule for your 'blocking' on-the-fly while you add it onto your list.

and to me, it's much more intuitive and simple.

badtz · Aug 30, 2005, 12:44 AM

http://braden.machacking.net/

FINALLY, someone is making a nice and intuitive ad blocking software similar to Adblock [for firefox] for Safari!!!

It's called SafariBlock.

Up to now, I've been using the ad blocking feature inside of Saft [which is also good] ... but I think I may be switching now

RedHerring · Aug 30, 2005, 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by badtz

http://braden.machacking.net/

FINALLY, someone is making a nice and intuitive ad blocking software similar to Adblock [for firefox] for Safari!!!

It's called SafariBlock.

Up to now, I've been using the ad blocking feature inside of Saft [which is also good] ... but I think I may be switching now

I've been tinkering with SafariBlock for a couple of days myself. It doesn't block ads exactly the same way AdBlock does yet, but I'm betting before too long it will. The main difference as far as I can tell is that you must refresh the webpage to make the ad disappear, and, in some cases, the ad is removed, but the space it used to occupy remains (but it's spotty... sometimes the space disappears as well... sometimes it doesn't).

Certainly one to keep an eye if you're looking for simple, no frills blocking in Safari.

Randman · Aug 30, 2005, 01:30 AM

Pithhlemet has improved. I like the ability to customize rules per sites. And you can set it to faster browsing as well. On 2.0, there's very little drag if any at all.

nooon · Aug 30, 2005, 09:04 AM

I've currently changed my default browser to Safari with Saft. Saft has REALLY improved lately, and makes Safari do just about anything I liked about Firefox.
I recommend it to everyone!

badtz · Aug 31, 2005, 05:45 AM

Saft is definitely a great plugin! Simply for the fact that if Safari crashes [even w/multiple tabs] it will recover them for you!!!! It has saved me countless times!

With PithHelmet, I like the fact that the blocking is fast, but honestly ... the interface is waayy too complex for such a simple procedure. I would rather lack customizability for a simpler interface.

AdBlock, imo, is still the best.

For Safari I would say either Saft or SafariBlock [I wish it could collapse blocked ads].

rickey939 · Aug 31, 2005, 08:17 AM

SafariBlock is great thus far and the developer is extremely fast and responsive to questions, comments, or concerns on the software.

Sophus · 03:41 AM

Originally Posted by badtz

Does anyone happen to know if there's something as easy to use as Adblock (firefox extension) .... for safari?

Since Mozilla/Sun/Macromedia/Apple are joining together for a universal plug-in format, does this mean Adblock will get to Safari in the future?

I find it MUCH easier to use/implement than PithHelmet.

Anyone else find Adblock very easy/useful?

I use a host file for blocking ads myself. If you do a google search, you will come up with several regularly maintained ad-blocking host files. It does not slow down your computer as some of the other solutions out there. The page loadtime is usually faster since ad and banners are not downloaded in the first place.

Host file blocking works like a charm, though blocking new ads/ad servers require manual entrys in the host file. On the plus side, it is not dependant on Safari versions and work with all browsers on your machine - and its free.

Sophus

mania · Sep 4, 2005, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by Sophus

I use a host file for blocking ads myself. If you do a google search, you will come up with several regularly maintained ad-blocking host files. It does not slow down your computer as some of the other solutions out there. The page loadtime is usually faster since ad and banners are not downloaded in the first place.

Host file blocking works like a charm, though blocking new ads/ad servers require manual entrys in the host file. On the plus side, it is not dependant on Safari versions and work with all browsers on your machine - and its free.

Sophus

FYI in Tiger at least just add entries to /etc/hosts using the command

[FONT=Courier New]sudo pico /etc/hosts[/FONT]

or your favorite editor...

Then restart lookupd with

[FONT=Courier New]sudo killall -HUP lookupd[/FONT]

and Voila!

I would like to write a script so you could say for example right click on an ad and have it automagically added to the hosts file and lookupd restarted.

Jens Peter · Sep 4, 2005, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by mania

FYI in Tiger at least just add entries to /etc/hosts using the command

[FONT=Courier New]sudo pico /etc/hosts[/FONT]

or your favorite editor...

Then restart lookupd with

[FONT=Courier New]sudo killall -HUP lookupd[/FONT]

and Voila!

I would like to write a script so you could say for example right click on an ad and have it automagically added to the hosts file and lookupd restarted.

I tried to do that, but without succes....

My host-file looks like this:
[FONT=Courier New]
#
# Host Database
#
# localhost is used to configure the loopback interface
# when the system is booting. Do not change this entry.
##
127.0.0.1 localhost
255.255.255.255 broadcasthost
::1 localhost

127.0.0.1 http://track.adform.net/
127.0.0.1 http://adserver.adtech.de
127.0.0.1 http://partner.eniro.dk/pol
[/FONT]

and running the killall-command. But the ads still appear. What am I doing wrong ?

Sophus · Sep 4, 2005, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by Jens Peter

I tried to do that, but without succes....

My host-file looks like this:
[FONT=Courier New]
#
# Host Database
#
# localhost is used to configure the loopback interface
# when the system is booting. Do not change this entry.
##
127.0.0.1 localhost
255.255.255.255 broadcasthost
::1 localhost

127.0.0.1 http://track.adform.net/
127.0.0.1 http://adserver.adtech.de
127.0.0.1 http://partner.eniro.dk/pol
[/FONT]

and running the killall-command. But the ads still appear. What am I doing wrong ?

Did you clear Safari's cache before you tried it out?

Synotic · Sep 4, 2005, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Jens Peter

I tried to do that, but without succes....

My host-file looks like this:

<snip>

But the ads still appear. What am I doing wrong ?

Try removing the http:// and all the extra slashes, e.g. www.apple.com

Jens Peter · Sep 5, 2005, 02:32 AM

I removed the 'http://' and cleared Safari's cache - and it worked!

Great

Sophus · Sep 5, 2005, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by mania

I would like to write a script so you could say for example right click on an ad and have it automagically added to the hosts file and lookupd restarted.

Please do!

mania · Sep 6, 2005, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by Sophus

Please do!

hmm, would have to overlay a custom script to do it, not sure how. hmm - you have me thinking...