suggestion—different techniques for element hiding

Various discussions related to Adblock Plus development
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ChristTrekker
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Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:49 pm

suggestion—different techniques for element hiding

Post by ChristTrekker »

More and more sites are becoming aware of ABP (and others) blocking an image from loading, and then refusing to display their content.

What if there was an option to fetch the image, but display it in a non-annoying way?

Add the capability to specify a custom CSS rule to apply to matched resources. Maybe "height:2px; width:2px;", or "visibility:none;", or "opacity:0.05".

Seems I did this somehow several years ago, but can't remember how I accomplished it.
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greiner
ABP Developer
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Re: suggestion—different techniques for element hiding

Post by greiner »

Sounds like you're referring to this issue where we discussed allowing filter authors to apply arbitrary styles.

Unfortunately, I'd say that such a technique could easily be detected and counter-acted on while, on the other hand, it'd be quite risky to implement. Therefore we're focusing our efforts on giving filter authors more powerful tools to target ads, as well as on avoiding detection by websites.
ChristTrekker
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Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:49 pm

Re: suggestion—different techniques for element hiding

Post by ChristTrekker »

greiner wrote:Sounds like you're referring to this issue where we discussed allowing filter authors to apply arbitrary styles.
Sounds like a similar issue, anyway.

It wouldn't have to allow for arbitrary styles, though. Understandably that could get a little hairy! You could implement as only a limited selection of blocking behaviors to choose from. E.g. normal blocking (don't fetch the resource), block visibility (hidden), block display (none). The latter two both fetch the resource, of course, but do or do not affect the layout, respectively. Both may be useful in differing situations.

You're right that either of these could be as easily detected as complete absence of the ad, but I don't know what you could do that isn't detectable somehow.
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greiner
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Re: suggestion—different techniques for element hiding

Post by greiner »

There's already a way to hide images that weren't blocked: element hiding. I assume that's what you mean, right?
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