Adblock Plus 0.6 Announcement

ariel · Post by **ariel** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:57 pm

At first the sidebar in the new AdBlock Plus 0.6 looks and sound like a great idea but there is a very serious problem. The addresses tend to get fairly long and when trying to match an address to an object in the web page, to create a new RegExp filter or simply to see the full URL you need to stretch the side bar to the extend of almost completely hiding the web page. And that’s bad.

I would think a horizontal sidebar will be more usable and userfriendly.

And I have 2 more requests:

1) I think that it’s most important that when selecting a blocked item in the sidebar that it will be possible to see the filter that blocked it.

2) When selecting an item in the sidebar and flashing it in web page, many times the object in the page is not in the window visible area. And since the flashing occurs for only a short time it’s getting to be a pain when trying to locate the corresponding object. If some sort of “scroll to object” can be performed before the flashing I think it will ease a few pains (or at lest mine

).

Wladimir Palant · Post by **Wladimir Palant** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:29 pm

ariel wrote:I would think a horizontal sidebar will be more usable and userfriendly.

Tried this already. Gecko's user interface widgets don't support horizontal scrolling too well, this is turning out to be less user friendly in the end. You can still see the full URL in the tooltip.

As of the other requests:

1) This is already done for Adblock Plus 0.6.0.3, it should be on the MozDev mirrors in a few hours.

2) Scrolling to objects - yes, it is a good idea. I'll see whether this can be done. Filed http://bugzilla.mozdev.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12879 on this so I don't forget.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:40 pm

I already asked for that but:

It could be great to be able to disable/enable Adblock Plus with a simple click as the middle click (which is not used for moment).

Currently there is left click to open the preference panel but for my part I'm more used to disable/enable adblock than open the preference panel.

Another useful option (at least for me as I'm leasy) could be to auto refresh the active page once adblock is disable or enable.

thanks

Wladimir Palant · Post by **Wladimir Palant** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:48 pm

Anonymous wrote:It could be great to be able to disable/enable Adblock Plus with a simple click as the middle click (which is not used for moment).

Yes, this is also done in 0.6.0.3.

Anonymous wrote:Another useful option (at least for me as I'm leasy) could be to auto refresh the active page once adblock is disable or enable.

I think refreshing pages automatically is bad. For example people might loose data they've entered. "Unblocking" whatever has been blocked would be a different thing but as I said somewhere else - we'll have to wait at least until Gecko 1.9 to do this.

Fox · Post by **Fox** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:52 pm

Are you going to add Overlay Flash?
If not, why?

ariel · Post by **ariel** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:05 pm

Wladimir Palant wrote:Tried this already. Gecko's user interface widgets don't support horizontal scrolling too well, this is turning out to be less user friendly in the end. You can still see the full URL in the tooltip.

That sucks because the sidebar is in its nature is a narrow window and the blockable elements list just calls for a wider view. The tooltip is helpful but is not solving the problem.
Maybe it’s worth considering a preference that can allow the user to choose how to view the list. A sidebar or a separate window. Or maybe even a button on the sidebar to undock it from the browser’s main window.
I think it’s worth considering.

Wladimir Palant wrote:1) This is already done for Adblock Plus 0.6.0.3, it should be on the MozDev mirrors in a few hours.

Thanks

Wladimir Palant wrote:2) Scrolling to objects - yes, it is a good idea. I'll see whether this can be done. Filed http://bugzilla.mozdev.org/show_bug.cgi?id=12879 on this so I don't forget.

Thanks x 2

Wladimir Palant · Post by **Wladimir Palant** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:31 pm

The big advantage of the sidebar is that it is directly associated with the web page. My original "All blockable elements" window from 2003 was only a mockup of what the UI could do, it has very poor usability. Rue added it to official Adblock and I hated it ever since (was impossible to make rue reconsider this). I really don't want to bring this back. But long addresses are a problem and I'm open to any suggestions.

Fox wrote:Are you going to add Overlay Flash?
If not, why?

Not the way it was implemented before, that much for sure. It is massively changing the web page, a good way to run into big trouble, especially when dealing with objects. The usability is poor - most people can't or don't want to memorize the keyboard shortcut, looking it up in the menu takes three clicks however. It is not discoverable - I don't think people can understand what it does without reading some forum discussions.

Object tabs should work just fine in most cases, they are enabled by default now. If object tabs don't work, it should be easy enough to look for "object" in the sidebar. The sidebar also allows you to open the object in a new tab - that way you can make sure you are blocking the right thing. I'm considering alternatives though, so if you have good suggestions...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:39 pm

Wladimir Palant wrote:Sorry, but the naming of the extension isn't open for discussion - it is already done. And "Adblock Lite" isn't it anyway, that's not what it is. Adblock Plus 0.6 is more powerful than Adblock already (in terms of real features) and will continue to improve.

The arrogance and indifference to user opinion expressed here makes it clear that this is a project I can no longer support. There is no way this rewrite should have been issued under the same name as the original.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:49 pm

Anonymous wrote:The arrogance and indifference to user opinion expressed here makes it clear that this is a project I can no longer support. There is no way this rewrite should have been issued under the same name as the original.

oh poor guy... go crying

what do you care about names?? use what you want and dont use what you dont want... or do you look only at name? perhaps win XP is a real experience for you...

Wladimir Palant · Post by **Wladimir Palant** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:00 pm

Anonymous wrote:The arrogance and indifference to user opinion expressed here makes it clear that this is a project I can no longer support.

I am neither arrogant nor indifferent to opinions, I'm reading all of them. But there are things I no longer can change - extension name being one of them. I'm open to any constructive comments though. If you would say what exactly your problem with "this rewrite" is I might take care of it.

Btw, I'm definitely not adding DIV blocking but I might write a separate extension for it (to be installed on top of Adblock Plus) that will do it much better than Adblock Plus ever had. That's not a problem, real problem is - does anybody feel like maintaining this extension? I already have two extensions to maintain and they require lots of time.

Sasafrass · Post by **Sasafrass** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:20 pm

Ok, I just installed this new version & so far it seems to work fine

I was wondering if there's a way to hide the display, so as to save a little room in the status bar. How come this new version doesn't have that option like the previous one?

Wladimir Palant · Post by **Wladimir Palant** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:35 pm

Sasafrass wrote:I was wondering if there's a way to hide the display, so as to save a little room in the status bar. How come this new version doesn't have that option like the previous one?

This option isn't there because there is no replacement for the status bar item. A toolbar item has been suggested but a proper icon for it is missing (the old icon is rather ugly and does not really associate with Adblock Plus).

ariel · Post by **ariel** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:42 pm

Wladimir Palant wrote:The big advantage of the sidebar is that it is directly associated with the web page.

You’re right. I’ll shut up now.

Anonymous wrote: The arrogance and indifference to user opinion expressed here makes it clear that this is a project I can no longer support.

If you could just unglue your eyes from this particular post and read his other responses to other peoples opinion maybe you might feel a little better.

And your no longer gona support this project? Hammmm… is that a promise? Because we’ll hold you to that.

Calain · Post by **Calain** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 5:55 pm

Wladimir Palant wrote:This option isn't there because there is no replacement for the status bar item. A toolbar item has been suggested but a proper icon for it is missing (the old icon is rather ugly and does not really associate with Adblock Plus).

Some people created two separate sets of icons for Adblock Plus.
Maybe one of them looks fitting. I did use the second set for a while. If you do not like them an icon that shows an stylized image with an semi transparent (/) in front of it might have a fitting look.

It would be nice, if someone could create such an icon, to see how it looks.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:45 pm

Wladimir Palant wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The arrogance and indifference to user opinion expressed here makes it clear that this is a project I can no longer support.
I am neither arrogant nor indifferent to opinions, I'm reading all of them. But there are things I no longer can change - extension name being one of them. I'm open to any constructive comments though. If you would say what exactly your problem with "this rewrite" is I might take care of it.

Btw, I'm definitely not adding DIV blocking but I might write a separate extension for it (to be installed on top of Adblock Plus) that will do it much better than Adblock Plus ever had. That's not a problem, real problem is - does anybody feel like maintaining this extension? I already have two extensions to maintain and they require lots of time.

OK, let's call "Wladimir Palant's 'Adblock Plus' " "Adblock+" and our long-loved mcm's Adblock Plus "Adblock Plus" so that no more confusing will be created.