Adblock Plus

Posted: **Tue Feb 07, 2012 5:23 pm**

For subscription authors, communication with foreign users is difficult especially when they don't understand both English and each local language.
That's why foreign reports are ignored. But they are increasing and annoying.

For example, subscription named "Adversity" has a strict English only policy.
But displaying "Known issues: http://adversity.uk.to/support.html" is too soft, isn't it?

How about adding a new header comment to the subscription file?

Code: Select all

! lang: ja, en

Example above means that subscription is restricted to Japanese and English users referring browser config.

Posted: **Sun Feb 12, 2012 3:14 pm**

(continuing...)

- With lang header comment, warning when users click subscription links asking whether they are really want to subscribe would be nice.

- If "strict" is added, block to subscribe.

Code: Select all

! lang: ja, en, strict

This "strict" option would be useful when subscription authors receive foreign issue report spams like:

https://reports.adblockplus.org/1176a8d ... 16d9e312ea

https://reports.adblockplus.org/9044af1 ... bb315a4535

https://reports.adblockplus.org/e70e905 ... 35437ec960

Posted: **Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:16 am**

I have to agree that the current known issue system is too soft, a large percentage of the reports I receive are still not relevant.

At least with the new web based implementation I can filter them however this approach does not help the end user.

Posted: **Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:49 am**

The following is my draft(suggestion) as to the deference between NOT STRICT and STRICT
Your comments are welcome.

1. Filter subscription with a lang header comment

Code: Select all

! lang: ja, en

Warning is displayed when users try to use foreign subscription, saying that "This subscription is not for your language. Click OK if you date install it. NO to cancel", but they can subscribe it if they dare want.
(Foreign subscription means that the lang header comment is NOT consistent with browser language config.)

2. Filter subscription with a lang header comment and "strict"

Code: Select all

! lang: ja, en, strict

Warning is displayed when users try to use foreign subscription, saying that "This subscription is not for your language. Click OK to cancel". They cannot subscribe it.
If users already have subscription, their issue reports are NOT delivered to foreign subscription authors.

Posted: **Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:14 pm**

I moved this to Future Development for further discussion.

First of all: a comment in the subscription won't work because the subscription download happens too late for any warnings. This information would have to be added to the subscription list, from there it can get into subscriptions2.xml and into abp: links on en/subscriptions. Adblock Plus would have to consider this additional information to warn users, makes sense IMHO.

As to ignoring issue reports - that's something entirely different and doesn't seem to be a good idea. For example, I know that many Russian users use an English-language Firefox, same thing is common in some other countries as well. Ignoring their reports just because their browser language is unexpected would be wrong.

Ares2 suggests that user's browser language should be shown as a column in the reports list on the web and that it is possible to filter by it. IMHO that's a better approach - it would allow filter list authors to prioritize reports in the own language but the other reports would still be visible.

Posted: **Tue Feb 21, 2012 4:53 pm**

Wladimir Palant wrote:First of all: a comment in the subscription won't work because the subscription download happens too late for any warnings. This information would have to be added to the subscription list, from there it can get into subscriptions2.xml and into abp: links on en/subscriptions. Adblock Plus would have to consider this additional information to warn users, makes sense IMHO.

hmm...

I have to reconsider it to find better way because I think additional sever-side config is NOT preferable to that of author-side.

Wladimir Palant wrote:As to ignoring issue reports - that's something entirely different and doesn't seem to be a good idea. For example, I know that many Russian users use an English-language Firefox, same thing is common in some other countries as well. Ignoring their reports just because their browser language is unexpected would be wrong.

Ignoring reports should be an option which each subscription author can select, shouldn't it?
Why do you think all subscription authors have to receive unwanted issue reports, forcing authors to filter each time?

Wladimir Palant wrote:Ares2 suggests that user's browser language should be shown as a column in the reports list on the web and that it is possible to filter by it. IMHO that's a better approach - it would allow filter list authors to prioritize reports in the own language but the other reports would still be visible.

Not so bad though I have to write my own user script to switch default filter config.
Filtering could cause worse user experiences because users send reports and wait for responses which occasionally never come back. One of users would say "I wrote reports but never returns. How arrogant!". Who wants bad reputation?

BTW, it seems that current issue reporting system accepts all sent reports, right?
Then, someone has to prepare for future issue report flood attack.

Posted: **Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:14 am**

k2jp wrote:Filtering could cause worse user experiences because users send reports and wait for responses which occasionally never come back. One of users would say "I wrote reports but never returns. How arrogant!". Who wants bad reputation?

That's what the "known issues" are good for. We already warn people with non-English browsers who submit Adversity reports: https://hg.adblockplus.org/subscription ... ssues#l100. IMHO that's good enough to explain why their report isn't being considered - and better than preventing them from sending reports at all. A subscription author should look at the unfiltered list of reports occasionally, otherwise he might easily miss a serious issue.

Posted: **Sat Feb 25, 2012 7:33 am**

I wrote "Support Policy" like Adversity.
https://code.google.com/p/adblock-plus- ... ort_Policy

- Wladimir, could you add "known issues" like Adversity for non-Japanese and non-English browsers?

- In addition to that, could you check the following to add "known issue"?

1. Duplicated reports

2. Reports without descriptive comment

3. Reports without exact URL to help reproduce the problem

4. Reports without marked screenshot

Wladimir Palant wrote:A subscription author should look at the unfiltered list of reports occasionally, otherwise he might easily miss a serious issue.

Not all the subscription authors think so.
Probably, author of EasyLIst or Fanboy wants to unfilter list, but others don't.
I mean it depends on each author.

Posted: **Sat Feb 25, 2012 8:52 pm**

k2jp wrote:- Wladimir, could you add "known issues" like Adversity for non-Japanese and non-English browsers?

Done: https://hg.adblockplus.org/subscription ... f0ac51e522

k2jp wrote:- In addition to that, could you check the following to add "known issue"?
1. Duplicated reports

2. Reports without descriptive comment

3. Reports without exact URL to help reproduce the problem

4. Reports without marked screenshot

These aren't things that can be recognized automatically.

Posted: **Sun Feb 26, 2012 3:56 pm**

Wladimir Palant wrote:
k2jp wrote:- Wladimir, could you add "known issues" like Adversity for non-Japanese and non-English browsers?
Done: https://hg.adblockplus.org/subscription ... f0ac51e522

Verified.
Many thanks!!

Wladimir Palant wrote:
k2jp wrote:- In addition to that, could you check the following to add "known issue"?
1. Duplicated reports

2. Reports without descriptive comment

3. Reports without exact URL to help reproduce the problem

4. Reports without marked screenshot
These aren't things that can be recognized automatically.

I have to rearrange these with a new feature request...

Posted: **Mon Mar 26, 2012 2:53 am**

I have tried filtering "known issues" on the issue report digest (listing) page for a while.
My conclusion: better than nothing

- Filtering does NOT reduce the number of reports in delivered daily/weekly issue report e-mails.
- Excel-like spread sheet is high-functioning but not tractable.
- Filtering frequently is confusing: for example, I forgot which report is finished/unfinished.

Therefore, reducing spam reports is still essential for subscription authors to work in comfort.
Restriction is still required feature though it's optional.

I suppose there are two chances of restriction.
- When a user adds a new subscription
- When a user submits his/her issue report
The former is denial with message saying that you are NOT able to use this subscription with LANG restriction.
The latter is warning to users saying that your report will not be delivered to subscription authors who set LANG restriction.

Code: Select all

! lang: ja, en

This is optional for subscription authors.

How do you think?

BTW, I decide to try a experiment with poison pill to reduce spam/misused users.
I know this is NOT smart. But I have to protect myself if Adblock Plus does NOT offer effective countermeasures.

Code: Select all

! ########## Issue Report Spam Blocker (poison pill) start ##########
! A few foreign users are keep sending nonsense reports everyday, repeatedly.
! I tried to communicate him/her in English, using "status" input box of reports. But it doesn't seem that he/she reads it.
! I also keep talking with Wladimir Palant via forum at adblockplus.org about blocking issue report spamming. But it takes time to take action...
! Reluctantly, I decided to use desperate remedies.
! I will stop this experiment if spamming is stopped, or new Adblock Plus feature is implemented.
! 
! All you have to do is UNsubscribe ABP Japanese Filters because the subscription does NOT support your language.
! Temporarily disable the fileter below? I will update irregularly ;-p
! 
! Spammer's language now: French
@@|http:*.fr^
! |http:*.fr^
! ########## Issue Report Spam Blocker (poison pill) end ##########

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:28 am**

Issue solved: https://hg.adblockplus.org/subscription ... 5d041b88ba. You will no longer get issue reports so you can be happy. And the next Adblock Plus release will remove your filter subscription (a drastic and unprecedented measure but we've never had to deal with a malicious filter subscription before) at which point the users will be happy as well. I hope that one of the subscriptionlist maintainers will contact you and tell you why what you did is wrong because I am way too angry right now to do that. If "protecting" yourself is more important to you than protecting your users then maybe maintaining a filter subscription was a wrong decision to make in the first place.

Adblock Plus

[WontFix] Language restriction for issue reports

[WontFix] Language restriction for issue reports

Re: Feature Request:[Issue Report] Restrict subscription

Re: Feature Request:[Issue Report] Restrict subscription

Re: Feature Request:Issue Report Restrict subscription

Re: Language restriction for issue reports

Re: Language restriction for issue reports

Re: Language restriction for issue reports

Re: Language restriction for issue reports

Re: Language restriction for issue reports

Re: Language restriction for issue reports

Re: Language restriction for issue reports

Re: Language restriction for issue reports