We’ve been anticipating it for years,1 and it’s finally happening. Google is finally killing uBlock Origin – with a note on their web store stating that the extension will soon no longer be available because it “doesn’t follow the best practices for Chrome extensions”.2 Daly Barnett. “Chrome Users Beware: Manifest V3 is Deceitful and Threatening.” EFF, December 9, 2021. ↩ Lawrence Abrams. “Google warns uBlock Origin and other extensions may be disabled soon.” Bleeping Computer, October 13, 2024. ↩

We’ve been anticipating it for years, and it’s finally happening. Google is finally killing uBlock Origin – with a note on their web store stating that the extension will soon no longer be available because it “doesn’t follow the best practices for Chrome extensions”.

Now that it is finally happening, many seem to be oddly resigned to the idea that Google is taking away the best and most powerful ad content blocker available on any web browser today, with one article recommending people set up a DNS based content blocker on their network 😒 – instead of more obvious solutions.

I may not have blogged about this but I recently read an article from 1999 about why Gopher lost out to the Web, where Christopher Lee discusses the importance of the then-novel term “mind share” and how it played an important part in dictating why the web won out. In my last post, I touched on the importance of good information to democracies – the same applies to markets (including the browser market) – and it seems to me that we aren’t getting good information about this topic.

This post is me trying to give you that information, to help increase the mind share of an actual alternative. Enjoy!

  • bdonvr@thelemmy.clubEnglish
    9·
    1 month ago

    plex/jellyfin etc high quality video support

    H265 isn’t the only option there. AV1 is great and fully supported by Jellyfin (and I imagine Plex?)

    • AlternateRoute@lemmy.caEnglish
      56·
      1 month ago

      H.265 is the defecto standard on Security cameras, and I am not going to migrate content to AV1 that is already in H.265.

        • AlternateRoute@lemmy.caEnglish
          43·
          1 month ago

          Not when you are using an NVR with scrubbing and everything in the web UI. https://frigate.video/

          All in all it would be an inconvenient workaround for something that already works seamlessly across Safari, Edge, Chrome etc.

            • shinratdr@lemmy.caEnglish
              63·
              1 month ago

              How is giving a sober and straightforward explanation of why he can’t use Firefox “bitching”? The simple fact is “switch to Firefox” isn’t a solution for everyone in every case. Burying your head in the sand about that benefits nobody.

              • ddh@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
                52·
                1 month ago

                They can enjoy some ads then, I guess. But it was the general attitude of unwillingness to entertain suggestions and just shutting down every one.

              • AlternateRoute@lemmy.caEnglish
                33·
                1 month ago

                It is generally hard to have an opposing opinion or need discussion on the internet without people feeling attacked and start name calling.

      • bdonvr@thelemmy.clubEnglish
        6·
        1 month ago

        Jellyfin can handle the transcoding to AV1 where needed. Albeit that’s a bit less ideal than direct play as you need the hardware to transcode.

        • AlternateRoute@lemmy.caEnglish
          33·
          1 month ago

          Not spending hundreds to upgrade my server to support 4K to 4K transcoding. Even accelerated on a VERY recent CPU or GPU Encoding in AV1 is costly while at the same time decoding H.265.

          Again Essentially every major browser supports HVEC now, other than Firefox.

          • bdonvr@thelemmy.clubEnglish
            4·
            1 month ago

            If it’s a personal machine in which you have a choice on browser why not just use one of the native Jellyfin apps?

            major browser supports HVEC now, other than Firefox.

            Every other major browser is an overcommercialized pile of crap (or built atop the same) that can afford to pay for the licenses to use HEVC or has no qualms shipping proprietary code with their software that they don’t control.

            Also apparently on Windows you can enable experimental HEVC hardware decoding support. You’ll need to install “HEVC Video Extensions” (from Microsoft themselves) ($0.99) in the Windows App Store and toggle “media.wmf.hevc.enabled” in about:config.