24 replies to this topic

[Anthony A]

What filter subscriptions are Ad Block Plus users recommending here? Ad block Plus does not recommend the use of Filterset.G http://adblockplus.o...ect#filterset.g

[Andavari]

I'm currently using these, they're available in ABP:


Of course there's even more filters available here:
http://adblockplus.o...n/subscriptions

[JDPower]

Anthony A, on May 17 2007, 01:26 AM, said:

Ad block Plus does not recommend the use of Filterset.G

Be aware that is personal opinion of the creator of ABP (and because there is some animosity with the old Adblock, and by proxy FiltersetG), not because there is any technical reason. I got into a discussion on Mozilla with the creator of Adblock Plus about this and he admitted that Filterset G will work fine Adblock Plus. He just thinks the filters are unnecessarily long and complicated, making it almost impossible to find any rule that blocks something it shouldn't, though I've never had that problem. I still use the standard Adblock and tried some of the ABP recommended filters but they just weren't as effective as FiltersetG (ie, I was still seeing ads).

On ABP's plus side it does now have the promising looking RIP style add on Element Hiding Helper

[Anthony A]

JDPower, on May 16 2007, 10:00 PM, said:

On ABP's plus side it does now have the promising looking RIP style add on Element Hiding Helper

Doesn't the Easy Element subscription do the same thing? It's by the same person that made the Easy List subscription and is supposed to remove the stuff that Easy List doesn't like the spaces left behind and text adds. http://easylist.adbl...ist-element.htm

[Anthony A]

Andavari, on May 16 2007, 09:21 PM, said:

I'm currently using these, they're available in ABP:


Of course there's even more filters available here:
http://adblockplus.o...n/subscriptions

Well the only one there I can really use is Easy List because the others are not English.

[JDPower]

Anthony A, on May 17 2007, 04:53 AM, said:

Doesn't the Easy Element subscription do the same thing? It's by the same person that made the Easy List subscription and is supposed to remove the stuff that Easy List doesn't like the spaces left behind and text adds. http://easylist.adbl...ist-element.htm

Not really. My understanding is that the element hiding helper allows you to block any page content you want, similar to what Remove It Permanently does.

[Andavari]

Well I dug through my subscriptions since I hadn't even paid any attention to them since adding them and the dutchblock (Nederland) subscription stated it had been canceled and to use another subscription.

[Anthony A]

Andavari, on May 17 2007, 01:50 AM, said:

Well I dug through my subscriptions since I hadn't even paid any attention to them since adding them and the dutchblock (Nederland) subscription stated it had been canceled and to use another subscription.

I noticed you are from the USA? Why were you using the non English subscriptions. Do you visit many non english sites? Or do they block English adds to?

[Andavari]

Anthony A, on May 17 2007, 07:46 AM, said:

I noticed you are from the USA? Why were you using the non English subscriptions. Do you visit many non english sites? Or do they block English adds to?

I don't visit that many U.S. sites at all unless it's for a recording label that offers free MP3's hence the reason for the European ad blocking filters. Most of the software I use is German made, or from other European countries however that's soley because of the software I like such as certain freeware/open source audio software, etc.

[lotse]

Subscription???

I still use the original list that someone posted on the mozilla forums way back in the days of Firefox version 0.93.
It still blocks 99% of all the ads I come accross, and the remaining few I kill with a simple right click...

Never really found the need to update to anything "better".

[Anthony A]

Well I installed Easy List and the Easy Element Filter and it works very well.

[JDPower]

Anthony A, on May 18 2007, 06:48 PM, said:

Well I installed Easy List and the Easy Element Filter and it works very well.

Give it time. Unless its improved since I tried it a couple of months ago you'll see about 10% more ads than with FiltersetG.

[rick752]

Hi guys. This is my first post here. I ran across this forum (and topic) doing random searches on Adblock Plus on Google. I am rick752, the author of the EasyList & EasyElement filters for Adblock Plus.

Just thought that I would start off by saying that there are some other interesting topics here that I like ... I don't register to too many forums, but I thought this one looked good .... so here I am (JDPower .... haven't we chatted somewhere else before?).

OK, let's clear up a couple of things. G's regexp filters are NOT optimized in ABP (Adblock Plus). Regexp's and regular filter strings with less than 8 uninterrupted characters are very slow. The EasyList with all whitelisting built in, processes the entire subscription at a little over 20ms. Filterset G WITHOUT his whitelist filter processes at around 65ms (obviously his whitelist will add even more time).

It is true that G's filter functions in ABP, but Wladimir does NOT detest it because of the "infighting" that used to exist between the two Adblocks. That feud is history as the original Adblock is no longer being developed anyway. He doesn't like G's filter not just because it is not optimized for ABP and is difficult to isolate problems, but mainly because of G's liberal use of 'general site whitelistings' when a false-positive occurs. This creates a problem at the ABP forum because people will complain that they can't block things until it is finally learned that G's filter is the problem. G is not a member of the ABP forum, so nothing can ever get resolved there with his filters. People has a tendency to complain about the program and not the filters ....."ABP blocks this" ... "ABP won't let me block that". It's NOT ABP ... it's the filters. If you are going to be part of the extension, you really need to be part of that forum ... G is not.

@JDPower
You said that you will see about 10% more ads with the EasyList (try adding both filters ... that one and the EasyElement). They are really meant to be one subscription, but I keep them separate for user-choice and troubleshooting convenience. Many users say that my combo blocks more than G's ... I guess it depends on where you surf. . But, I'll bet that your will see 50% less videos with G's filter than mine unless the whole directory or site has been whitelisted (meaning ALL ads will come through while there). I 'target-whitelist' the problems while still blocking the ads in almost every case.

Now that I am a member here, feel free to bring filter problems here if you want. Thanx for listening and letting me chime in

[Andavari]

Welcome to the forums rick752!

[Anthony A]

rick752, on May 20 2007, 06:58 PM, said:

Hi guys. This is my first post here. I ran across this forum (and topic) doing random searches on Adblock Plus on Google. I am rick752, the author of the EasyList & EasyElement filters for Adblock Plus.

Just thought that I would start off by saying that there are some other interesting topics here that I like ... I don't register to too many forums, but I thought this one looked good .... so here I am (JDPower .... haven't we chatted somewhere else before?).

OK, let's clear up a couple of things. G's regexp filters are NOT optimized in ABP (Adblock Plus). Regexp's and regular filter strings with less than 8 uninterrupted characters are very slow. The EasyList with all whitelisting built in, processes the entire subscription at a little over 20ms. Filterset G WITHOUT his whitelist filter processes at around 65ms (obviously his whitelist will add even more time).

It is true that G's filter functions in ABP, but Wladimir does NOT detest it because of the "infighting" that used to exist between the two Adblocks. That feud is history as the original Adblock is no longer being developed anyway. He doesn't like G's filter not just because it is not optimized for ABP and is difficult to isolate problems, but mainly because of G's liberal use of 'general site whitelistings' when a false-positive occurs. This creates a problem at the ABP forum because people will complain that they can't block things until it is finally learned that G's filter is the problem. G is not a member of the ABP forum, so nothing can ever get resolved there with his filters. People has a tendency to complain about the program and not the filters ....."ABP blocks this" ... "ABP won't let me block that". It's NOT ABP ... it's the filters. If you are going to be part of the extension, you really need to be part of that forum ... G is not.

@JDPower
You said that you will see about 10% more ads with the EasyList (try adding both filters ... that one and the EasyElement). They are really meant to be one subscription, but I keep them separate for user-choice and troubleshooting convenience. Many users say that my combo blocks more than G's ... I guess it depends on where you surf. . But, I'll bet that your will see 50% less videos with G's filter than mine unless the whole directory or site has been whitelisted (meaning ALL ads will come through while there). I 'target-whitelist' the problems while still blocking the ads in almost every case.

Now that I am a member here, feel free to bring filter problems here if you want. Thanx for listening and letting me chime in

I have installed both your Easy List and Easy Element Filter in ABP and working great so far.

[rick752]

Thanx Andavari & Anthony A.

Btw, if you want a subscription that also blocks tracking (some people like their privacy), add the ABP Tracking Filter too. Users are getting suspicious of tracking/stas sites these days.

[Anthony A]

rick752, on May 23 2007, 09:28 AM, said:

Thanx Andavari & Anthony A.

Btw, if you want a subscription that also blocks tracking (some people like their privacy), add the ABP Tracking Filter too. Users are getting suspicious of tracking/stas sites these days.

How often do these filters auto update? When I look at the filter in my ABS preferences it says Status: updated automatically;Last download: Friday, May 18 2007 6:52:56 PM (success)

I can right click the subscription and select "update subscription now" and that will change the status but I have not seen it do it automatically yet.

[rick752]

Anthony A, on May 23 2007, 02:21 PM, said:

How often do these filters auto update? When I look at the filter in my ABS preferences it says Status: updated automatically;Last download: Friday, May 18 2007 6:52:56 PM (success)

I can right click the subscription and select "update subscription now" and that will change the status but I have not seen it do it automatically yet.

My subscriptions (EasyList, EasyElement, and the ABP Tracking Filter) are set to update every 5 days after the last time you updated it/them because of the insane bandwidth that would be used if it did it every day. After the fifth day, ABP will update the subscription after 5 minutes of browser use (don't know why ABP uses that delay, but it does). At that point ABP will update the subscription(s) automatically without you knowing it.

[Anthony A]

rick752, on May 23 2007, 12:24 PM, said:

My subscriptions (EasyList, EasyElement, and the ABP Tracking Filter) are set to update every 5 days after the last time you updated it/them because of the insane bandwidth that would be used if it did it every day. After the fifth day, ABP will update the subscription after 5 minutes of browser use (don't know why ABP uses that delay, but it does). At that point ABP will update the subscription(s) automatically without you knowing it.

OK thanks. So the status message indicating the last download was successful is only if I manually update the subscription? If I don't manually update again ABP will do it automatically but there is no message or status indicator anywhere to verify this?

[rick752]

Anthony A, on May 23 2007, 04:37 PM, said:

OK thanks. So the status message indicating the last download was successful is only if I manually update the subscription? If I don't manually update again ABP will do it automatically but there is no message or status indicator anywhere to verify this?

No, (I probably wasn't clear) ..... it will give you the update info (but it won't say 'successful' unless you are watching when it happens)