Rik01: (Sigh) Naturally. Unfortunately, our technology hasn't progressed enough to keep the advertising and commercial leaches out of our hair. I, personally, hate those 'traveling ads' that pop open on a web page and travel across the whole screen while you scramble to find the close button. I also despise the popup ads on YouTube videos, which seem to happen right when you're trying to see something interesting going on. Some popups are making it harder to find the close button and a few have none at all.

Plus, every time I go online, I have to clean out tracking cookies that slip past my spy ware. I wind up using two different security programs.

These days, I automatically use the shredder in Spybot S&D to clean out all cookies and the internet cache.

Firefox + Adblock. Nuff said.

Hey. I only use those videos to masturbate.

I just hope they don't realize I use the ten hour nyan cat video as background music when I throw a bone all badass.


Link (Pure Ten Hour Awesomeness)

xellas84: Rik01: (Sigh) Naturally. Unfortunately, our technology hasn't progressed enough to keep the advertising and commercial leaches out of our hair. I, personally, hate those 'traveling ads' that pop open on a web page and travel across the whole screen while you scramble to find the close button. I also despise the popup ads on YouTube videos, which seem to happen right when you're trying to see something interesting going on. Some popups are making it harder to find the close button and a few have none at all.

Plus, every time I go online, I have to clean out tracking cookies that slip past my spy ware. I wind up using two different security programs.

These days, I automatically use the shredder in Spybot S&D to clean out all cookies and the internet cache.

Firefox + Adblock + NoScript. Nuff said.

Fixed. About as secure and adproof as you'll get in FF

bhcompy: xellas84: Rik01: (Sigh) Naturally. Unfortunately, our technology hasn't progressed enough to keep the advertising and commercial leaches out of our hair. I, personally, hate those 'traveling ads' that pop open on a web page and travel across the whole screen while you scramble to find the close button. I also despise the popup ads on YouTube videos, which seem to happen right when you're trying to see something interesting going on. Some popups are making it harder to find the close button and a few have none at all.

Plus, every time I go online, I have to clean out tracking cookies that slip past my spy ware. I wind up using two different security programs.

These days, I automatically use the shredder in Spybot S&D to clean out all cookies and the internet cache.

Firefox + Adblock + NoScript. Nuff said.

Fixed. About as secure and adproof as you'll get in FF

I use Chrome, Adblock+, and Ghostery. Works pretty well for me. Also have cookies/history/cache set to clear on closing the browser.

bhcompy: xellas84: Rik01: (Sigh) Naturally. Unfortunately, our technology hasn't progressed enough to keep the advertising and commercial leaches out of our hair. I, personally, hate those 'traveling ads' that pop open on a web page and travel across the whole screen while you scramble to find the close button. I also despise the popup ads on YouTube videos, which seem to happen right when you're trying to see something interesting going on. Some popups are making it harder to find the close button and a few have none at all.

Plus, every time I go online, I have to clean out tracking cookies that slip past my spy ware. I wind up using two different security programs.

These days, I automatically use the shredder in Spybot S&D to clean out all cookies and the internet cache.

Firefox + Adblock + NoScript + Redirect Remover. Nuff said.

Fixed again.

dustlesswalnut: Ghostery

Another shout-out for Ghostery

NoScript tends to annoy me. I love Ghostery. Better Privacy is nice, too.

Rik01: (Sigh) Naturally. Unfortunately, our technology hasn't progressed enough to keep the advertising and commercial leaches out of our hair. I, personally, hate those 'traveling ads' that pop open on a web page and travel across the whole screen while you scramble to find the close button. I also despise the popup ads on YouTube videos, which seem to happen right when you're trying to see something interesting going on. Some popups are making it harder to find the close button and a few have none at all.

Plus, every time I go online, I have to clean out tracking cookies that slip past my spy ware. I wind up using two different security programs.

These days, I automatically use the shredder in Spybot S&D to clean out all cookies and the internet cache.

I don't see how ads reflect a privacy concern and that's what the article was about. Certainly, you could have a system where ads are present *and* your privacy is protected.

Personally, I'm *glad* ads exist. Without ads the internet would be a very different place.

I learned about Ghostery from someone here on Fark and I love it. So thanks for that. I'm now going to check out Better Privacy

Fark_Guy_Rob: I don't see how ads reflect a privacy concern and that's what the article was about. Certainly, you could have a system where ads are present *and* your privacy is protected.

The article also said that it was a failure in "usability" and not a deficiency of "functionality". Basically, people are too stupid to configure and use the tools right.

dr.zaeus: Fark_Guy_Rob: I don't see how ads reflect a privacy concern and that's what the article was about. Certainly, you could have a system where ads are present *and* your privacy is protected.

The article also said that it was a failure in "usability" and not a deficiency of "functionality". Basically, people are too stupid to configure and use the tools right.

It's kind of insane. As soon as computers started being marketed for the general public, and you didn't have to know how to put it together or program it, we started focusing on "usability" and not "learning how to use the damn thing".

As a result, we're now in a pattern where something has to be instantly intuitive to be a successful piece of technology.

So instead of learning what the threats are to our privacy and where they're likely to come from, we expect that PrivacyEnhancer 4.9 will keep us 100% shielded from all hackers while we browse a WEP-encrypted network using Internet Explorer 6.

Maybe if privacy tools were based in porn, they'd be better understood and used. Worked for Betamax and Blu-Ray...

Dr Dreidel: Worked for Betamax VHS and Blu-Ray...

HA! lrn2internet, Doc.

Even if all of these privacy tools worked flawlessly, you're still, very likely, quite easy to track based on your browser profile: Link (new window)

My browser is unique, so even with all the shiat I've got installed and the way I've got my privacy settings tweaked, if someone wants to build a profile of my internet usage then they can do so pretty easily.

dr.zaeus: Fark_Guy_Rob: I don't see how ads reflect a privacy concern and that's what the article was about. Certainly, you could have a system where ads are present *and* your privacy is protected.

The article also said that it was a failure in "usability" and not a deficiency of "functionality". Basically, people are too stupid to configure and use the tools right.

Plug and play is the goal of all convenience. If we still had to grow our own food we wouldn't have computers. I want my car to start and drive safely, my heater to turn on when I change the thermostat, and my computer to connect to the internet when I double click on the icon. If any of that stops working, my choice is to contact a highly paid technician to fix it or figure it out for myself. Having to "fiddle with it" out of the box should be an option for optimizers and customizers, not a requirement for basic usage. I am not saying that knowing basic troubleshooting isn't important, I am just saying, think of how dumb the average person is and realize half the people in the world are dumber than that. If your consumer targeted product, no matter how good it is, cannot cater to that 50%, than it is not maximizing its potential. Ask Apple about ease of use and attractive packaging vs. making the "best" product.

Tools should be easy to use by the general public. Expecting, say, a preschool teacher or auto mechanic or 13 year old "B" student to successfully navigate the vagaries of systems and application administration on a moving target is like expecting any of you couch potatoes to perform a hysterectomy or be the lead singer in an opera without the lyrics on a Kindle in your voluminous sleeves.

If you want money and/or recognition for your app, you need to write it for the largest user base possible, not just your posse of Internet Tough Guys and BOFHs