[patch] Ad Blocker

Jason Robitaille · 03/14/2010, 12:35 AM

Basically this is the Ad Blocker tweak from WOSQI converted to .patch form. I'll be submitting it to the WebOS-Internals feed and WOSQI 3.1 will then use that for the ad blocker tweak.

If you're using the WOSQI ad blocker tweak, remove it before installing this patch.

Veritas06 · 03/14/2010, 12:45 AM

Downloading now. Thanks Jason!

mjkjr · 03/14/2010, 04:17 AM

I saw this tweak a while back in webos QI. I know the name is pretty self explanitory, but could someone provide more details? Like what types of ads or does it just block out all ads when I'm browsing?

Jason Robitaille · 03/14/2010, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjkjr

I saw this tweak a while back in webos QI. I know the name is pretty self explanitory, but could someone provide more details? Like what types of ads or does it just block out all ads when I'm browsing?

Basically it blocks out connection to ad servers, thus cutting off ads. As the half-megabyte patch size would suggest, it's a very long ad block list, and should cause pretty well no system lag

Mom2Ninjas · 03/14/2010, 11:45 AM

So, this patch cuts of the ads in games
and programs?

Abyssul · 03/14/2010, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mom2Ninjas

So, this patch cuts of the ads in games
and programs?

Only in the browser. Cutting them out of apps would be disrespectful to the developer...

mjkjr · 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Robitaille

Basically it blocks out connection to ad servers, thus cutting off ads. As the half-megabyte patch size would suggest, it's a very long ad block list, and should cause pretty well no system lag

Well that sounds almost too good to be true, thank you for the explanation.

Just installed via webos QI and I want to say it works great. Blocks out exactly what I don't want to see when using my phone :-D Thank you for yet another great patch.

FuManChuu · 03/15/2010, 12:47 AM

Was about to spend some time yesterday manually editing my hosts file... good timing

jordan23945bulls · 03/15/2010, 12:49 AM

would this be coming to preware?

Jason Robitaille · 03/15/2010, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordan23945bulls

would this be coming to preware?

Yes, like all my patches, they eventually make it to Preware. Though as mentioned numerous times in many threads, WOSQI installs .patch files in the same way Preware does, under the same AUPT, and is uninstalled in both WOSQI/Preware

trim81 · 03/15/2010, 01:03 AM

just installed

know any sites to test this on?

FuManChuu · 03/15/2010, 01:05 AM

Also, for what its worth (and since the launch of the 800mhz patches, I'm sure there are more like me now) - For people on 1.3.5.1, this patch works just fine

jordan23945bulls · 03/15/2010, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Robitaille

Yes, like all my patches, they eventually make it to Preware. Though as mentioned numerous times in many threads, WOSQI installs .patch files in the same way Preware does, under the same AUPT, and is uninstalled in both WOSQI/Preware

thanks, I haven't had my computer in a really long time so that's why I was asking I don't know when I'm going to get my computer back

Colonel Kernel · 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abyssul

Only in the browser. Cutting them out of apps would be disrespectful to the developer...

Please add this clarification to the Preware patch page. I actually came looking for this thread to say that I disagreed with what I thought this patch did.

Removing the excessive ads from full web pages should speed things up. Also, because of a mobile browser's selective focus web advertisers aren't missing out that much.

BUT, and this may sound like a strange request, is it possible to allow sites formatted for mobile devices to display their ads properly? It's actually the same reasoning that you didn't block in-app ads. In most cases, mobile-formatted sites are a secondary effort by the site owner. And, mobile ads are rarely as obnoxious and disruptive as a full site's advertising. Please consider it.

Jason Robitaille · 03/16/2010, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colonel Kernel

BUT, and this may sound like a strange request, is it possible to allow sites formatted for mobile devices to display their ads properly? It's actually the same reasoning that you didn't block in-app ads. In most cases, mobile-formatted sites are a secondary effort by the site owner. And, mobile ads are rarely as obnoxious and disruptive as a full site's advertising. Please consider it.

There may have been some misunderstanding here. There is no selective ad blocking. This patch altered the standard hosts file and affects things systemwide. It just redirects adserver connections to localhost, thus preventing ads from rendering. The same technique is used on the iPhone.

It might be possible to filter out mobile ad servers, if they're different from the normal ad servers. Just search through the above patch to see if the ad server appears.

rockandchelle · 03/16/2010, 10:35 AM

Just installed this, I will post back if I have any issues.

knobbysideup · 03/16/2010, 10:40 AM

Here's a way to do it so that your adblock file is always up to date:

http://forums.precentral.net/web-os-...ml#post2295831

Jason,
If you'd like to incorporate that into your patch, that would be fine by me. The only issue, however, is that I check for specifics on my own home network to ensure that the file can be downloaded, so a patch may not actually be a good way to do it my way.

knobbysideup · 03/16/2010, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abyssul

Only in the browser. Cutting them out of apps would be disrespectful to the developer...

It doesn't 'cut out' anything. It's just a set of entries in /etc/hosts that point to loopback. Any hostname or wildcard url that is listed will be unreachable, no matter what application.

For example, on my pre, admob advertisements no longer show up on the weather channel app, nor in broadcast radio.

FixtSux · 03/16/2010, 10:55 AM

Thanks as always, Jason. My phone and its 256MB of RAM thanks you as well.

Colonel Kernel · 03/16/2010, 12:32 PM

This patch has cuts ads out of apps as well. Every app that I remember having ads is now absent of them.

As AdMob is a popular (of not exclusive) source of in-app ads, could you remove them from the list so the Devs can get their $$. AccuWeather and The Weather Channel's ad sources, too.

I will keep this patch installed for now to see if/how it affects the premature Too Many Cards issue.

03/14/2010, 12:45 AM	#2 (permalink)
Veritas06 Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Northport, NY Posts: 610 Likes Received: 4 Thanks: 448 Thanked 133 Times in 89 Posts	Downloading now. Thanks Jason! __________________ Fix 'Hidden' SMS Conversations PreThemer Profile Hide Amazon MP3 Store
	Liked by

03/14/2010, 04:17 AM	#3 (permalink)
mjkjr Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kansas City Missouri Posts: 1,045 Likes Received: 3 Thanks: 1,197 Thanked 259 Times in 200 Posts	I saw this tweak a while back in webos QI. I know the name is pretty self explanitory, but could someone provide more details? Like what types of ads or does it just block out all ads when I'm browsing?
	Liked by

03/14/2010, 11:45 AM	#5 (permalink)
Mom2Ninjas Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 203 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 53 Thanked 28 Times in 20 Posts	So, this patch cuts of the ads in games and programs? __________________ Aka: NinjaMom www.ppcgeeks.com PPC6600>PPC6700>HTC Touch>Touch Pro>Palm Pre
	Liked by

03/15/2010, 12:47 AM	#8 (permalink)
FuManChuu Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 479 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 10 Thanked 14 Times in 12 Posts	Was about to spend some time yesterday manually editing my hosts file... good timing __________________ Just waiting for the day my Pre has contacts grouping, and a "speed dial" for text messaging
	Liked by Thanked By: trim81

03/15/2010, 12:49 AM	#9 (permalink)
jordan23945bulls Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Los Angeles,CA Posts: 1,748 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 63 Thanked 189 Times in 147 Posts	would this be coming to preware?
	Liked by

03/15/2010, 01:03 AM	#11 (permalink)
trim81 Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: 626, Los Angeles Posts: 2,726 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 381 Thanked 197 Times in 129 Posts	just installed know any sites to test this on?
	Liked by

03/15/2010, 01:05 AM	#12 (permalink)
FuManChuu Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 479 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 10 Thanked 14 Times in 12 Posts	Also, for what its worth (and since the launch of the 800mhz patches, I'm sure there are more like me now) - For people on 1.3.5.1, this patch works just fine __________________ Just waiting for the day my Pre has contacts grouping, and a "speed dial" for text messaging
	Liked by Thanked By: trim81

03/16/2010, 10:35 AM	#16 (permalink)
rockandchelle Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 70 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Just installed this, I will post back if I have any issues.
	Liked by

03/16/2010, 10:40 AM	#17 (permalink)
knobbysideup Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Central PA Posts: 840 Likes Received: 3 Thanks: 305 Thanked 108 Times in 70 Posts	Here's a way to do it so that your adblock file is always up to date: http://forums.precentral.net/web-os-...ml#post2295831 Jason, If you'd like to incorporate that into your patch, that would be fine by me. The only issue, however, is that I check for specifics on my own home network to ensure that the file can be downloaded, so a patch may not actually be a good way to do it my way.
	Liked by

03/16/2010, 10:55 AM	#19 (permalink)
FixtSux Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 4 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks as always, Jason. My phone and its 256MB of RAM thanks you as well.
	Liked by

03/16/2010, 12:32 PM	#20 (permalink)
Colonel Kernel Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 773 Likes Received: 0 Thanks: 191 Thanked 101 Times in 58 Posts	This patch has cuts ads out of apps as well. Every app that I remember having ads is now absent of them. As AdMob is a popular (of not exclusive) source of in-app ads, could you remove them from the list so the Devs can get their $$. AccuWeather and The Weather Channel's ad sources, too. I will keep this patch installed for now to see if/how it affects the premature Too Many Cards issue.
	Liked by

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