Reconsider ROList

Various discussions related to filter list maintenance

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WarFame
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Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2016 7:39 pm

Reconsider ROList

Post by WarFame »

I don't know if I'm allowed to post this here but subscriptions is linking to a questionable filter list.
ROList contains several exceptions for big advertising networks.
https://github.com/chrisaljoudi/uBlock/issues/693
The very inappropriate response of the author: https://github.com/chrisaljoudi/uBlock/ ... -141550917
He also fails to explain why e.g. profitshare.ro is whitelisted.
I see indications that this is done purely out of personal financial interest.
Please consider if ROList should stay on "Known Adblock Plus subscriptions".
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mapx
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by mapx »

WarFame
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by WarFame »

mapx wrote:viewtopic.php?f=2&t=27939
Interesting, he also doesn't care to explain certain whitelist entries in that thread.
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zoso
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by zoso »

Which one are not explained, dear sir?
WarFame
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by WarFame »

zoso wrote:Which one are not explained, dear sir?

Code: Select all

@@||homebank.ro^$document
This filter is too broad. It hinders e.g. EasyPrivacy from blocking their fingerprinting script and Google Analytics on their site. "document" exceptions should only be created by the user. If some file names cause problems you need to create a more specific whitelist filter.

Code: Select all

@@||profitshare.emag.ro/get_ads.php?*
@@||profitshare.ro/get_ads.php?*
laptopnews.ro##a[href^="http://profitshare.emag.ro/"]
You didn't explain those filters at all.

Code: Select all

@@media.bestauto.ro
promozone.ro,emag.ro#@#[href*="/promo"]
iqads.ro#@##adcontainer
timesnewroman.ro#@#DIV[class^="banner"]
I don't see those filters unblocking anything on the sites they are applied on. Maybe they are outdated.
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zoso
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by zoso »

homebank.ro
it does not matter, the site does not run ads, its a banking site, you login and check your balance and pay for stuff. it has/had some code where it conflicted with usefull filters.

profitshare.ro
it allows for affiliate links to run.

laptopnews.ro
it blocked a very impolite site, that tricked people into clicking on images to make them bigger and actually were affiliate links. site went under, filter removed.

media.bestauto.ro, iqads.ro and timesnewroman.ro removed.

promozone.ro,emag.ro#@#[href*="/promo"]
they are easily explained. they conflict with the filter ro##[href*="/promo"]. i would rather have that filter and unblock 2-3 sites than remove the filter and block each site it uses the tag promo.
WarFame
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Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2016 7:39 pm

Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by WarFame »

I understand except those two:
it does not matter, the site does not run ads
It does matter. The filter interferes with the second most popular filter list for Adblock Plus, EasyPrivacy.
Take a look at EasyList: https://easylist-downloads.adblockplus.org/easylist.txt
They don't use a single filter which disables ABP on a site entirely. Your list has such a filter which is problematic and makes Google and the bank spy on the users even when they use EasyPrivacy.
If there's a problem on homebank.ro with an existing filter you need to solve it differently. A more precise whitelist filter is needed here. If for example elements were hidden you could disable element hiding with this filter:

Code: Select all

@@||homebank.ro^$generichide
I obviously don't have an account with that bank so I can't investigate what exactly is being blocked.

it allows for affiliate links to run.
If it is just a link then there's no need for whitelisting since Adblock Plus doesn't block URLs in the URL bar from being loaded, only elements on a site and popups.
Do you have an example so I can try to understand better?
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zoso
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by zoso »

so i can just use this to whitelist the whole domain?
@@||homebank.ro^

the reason i whitelisted profitshare was they have a weird way of managing links. the shortlink profitshare.ro/w9869865 goes to profitshare.ro/get_ads.php?w9869865 and then to the original link. i tried to reach out to them to change this, but no response. if i take that out, when clicking on a link will result a blank page.
WarFame
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2016 7:39 pm

Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by WarFame »

so i can just use this to whitelist the whole domain?

@@||homebank.ro^
You can make it more precise:

Code: Select all

@@||homebank.ro^$~third-party
This filter only whitelists stuff from homebank.ro when you are on their site. This way their fingerprinting script will still run which is bad but at least Google Analytics can be blocked. It would be good if you could find out which file types are blocked (Is it images or scripts or other files?) so you could only whitelist those.
If stuff gets hidden you should also try this one:

Code: Select all

@@||homebank.ro^$generichide
the reason i whitelisted profitshare was they have a weird way of managing links. the shortlink profitshare.ro/w9869865 goes to profitshare.ro/get_ads.php?w9869865 and then to the original link. i tried to reach out to them to change this, but no response. if i take that out, when clicking on a link will result a blank page.
I see. I don't know if you could make a better filter for that. Your's seems acceptable then.
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zoso
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by zoso »

Glad we worked it out.
WarFame
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by WarFame »

Yes, me too. I'm very sorry I made those accusations. Some advertisers use shady tricks so I'm always suspicious.
bluegnome
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by bluegnome »

zoso wrote:the reason i whitelisted profitshare was they have a weird way of managing links. the shortlink profitshare.ro/w9869865 goes to profitshare.ro/get_ads.php?w9869865 and then to the original link. i tried to reach out to them to change this, but no response. if i take that out, when clicking on a link will result a blank page.
The fact that it also whitelists their ads is just a lucky side effect, no? And that you use them on your site is a coincidence.
You can whitelist only the links used in retrieving the shortlink, you don't have to whitelist all of profitshare.
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zoso
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by zoso »

bluegnome wrote:The fact that it also whitelists their ads is just a lucky side effect, no? And that you use them on your site is a coincidence.
You can whitelist only the links used in retrieving the shortlink, you don't have to whitelist all of profitshare.
go to my blog. see their ads? no. the ads are blocked, the links work.
just stop it.
WarFame
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by WarFame »

bluegnome wrote:The fact that it also whitelists their ads is just a lucky side effect, no? And that you use them on your site is a coincidence.
You can whitelist only the links used in retrieving the shortlink, you don't have to whitelist all of profitshare.
I think you're wrong here. The Profitshare ads on his blog are from

Code: Select all

https://profitshare.ro/j/jXY
which isn't whitelisted. Right?
bluegnome
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Re: Reconsider ROList

Post by bluegnome »

Whitelist was a poor choice of words. It should have been don't block.
On your site they're blocked by the "ro##DIV[id*="banner"]" rule.
On others, they're displayed ( www.nwradu.ro being an example here ).

I'm willing to explain it by ignorance and not malice if you show good faith and add actual blocking rules for profitshare and e-day ( the ads that are blocked on your site by the CSS rule mentioned earlier).
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