promethia_tenk (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
promethia_tenk) wrote2017-01-03 01:37 pm
promethia_tenk) wrote2017-01-03 01:37 pm
Entry tags:
Rec: Ghostery Content Blocker
Ghostery is like a next-level adblocker. It's an extension for your browser that can block not just visible ads, but all of the trackers and plug-ins that litter modern websites. Why would you want to do this?
1) Privacy: Pretty much every website on the internet is spying on you, often in sophisticated networks that follow you around the web. Ghostry helps shield you from these tracker networks.
2) Security: Some website plugins carry malware that can do you active harm.
3) Speed: A major portion of the data load of a lot of websites is in trackers and plugins. It's amazing how fast some of these sites load when you cut that crap out.
4) Clutter: Ghostery removes a lot of the extra cruft from websites that can distract from the content. Not just ads, but things like those social media sharing buttons, media players, and buggy, slow-loading comment sections. Now, some of these things are useful, but Ghostery lets you turn them on and off at will. Maybe you want the Facebook share buttons but not the Twitter or Linked in ones--you can do that. Maybe most of the time you just want to read a site's articles but sometimes you want to comment--you can load them only when you want to.
5) And it blocks ads too.
I actually run Ghostery and AdBlock Plus at the same time. Sometimes AdBlock picks up something that Ghostery misses.
Ghostery does take a little more active tending than something like AdBlock Plus. As I mention above, some of these plugins are things you actually want. Ghostery breaks the various trackers and plugins into categories like advertising, analytics, media players, etc., to help you figure out which. During the setup process you're also able to search for particular items if you already know you want them enabled (I rely a lot on Google services, for example, and much of the value they provide depends on them knowing that I'm doing, so I enabled their trackers out of the box).
If you're on a particular web page and something seems broken, you can click on Ghostery's drop-down menu to see what content it's blocking and selectively re-enable what you need. It looks like this:
The thing I end up needing to re-enable most often are video players. For certain page elements like comment sections, Ghostery will also leave a little ghost icon to mark what it blocked and you can click on the icon to re-enable the plugin.
Amusingly/of note, if you still use LiveJournal, you will need to enable the LiveJournal 'site analytics' plugin, as major portions of the system pages like comments, flist filtering, and many settings now seem to be tied to it. I'm not entirely sure what I think about this.
Before you install, it's also worth reading about Ghostery's business model so you can make an informed decision about whether and how you use it. Personally, it tend to put more trust in companies that are up-front about how they make their money like this.
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Glad it wasn't just me. I'm not brilliant with these things, but I am capable on inputting a link and the height in pixels...
But I found some custom css before I found answers.
And that's where i tend to get lost. (I should probably learn it, but I get bored.)
Would what I have up right now be generally acceptable? (we can tweak from there)
Pretty much, apart from the top (right) module covering part of the banner. I guess that might be part of the basic layout?
Can I ask why you want your sidebar on the left instead of right like on lj?
I was just playing around, I prefer it on the right. Although I wish the default icon was as big as on LJ.
Incidentally love your 'About'. That could go back up top (although I know I can input text in the modules, so no worries).
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#canvas {
background-image: url(https://s20.postimg.org/r3spht7y5/japanese_cliff_city_banner.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: top center;
padding-top: 350px;
}
#canvas {
margin-top: 10px;
}
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Though the nav bar is genuinely useful over here--you might want to give it a shot. I rarely touch it on LJ, but I use it constantly on DW, particularly on my reading list page.
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I mean that seriously. I can sort of understand it on other people's journals (where I still have it enabled), but why your reading page?
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And then obviously the links to load people's journals in other styles, for when you're out an about.
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I guess it just highlights how we all use these things differently.
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Yup. As far as I know, order doesn't matter. I'd just give yourself a space under the code for the rounded corners so they don't get mixed up together.
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I figured, but you always have to ask. . .. Yeah, it's weird. The only image field I can seem to make have any effect is the 'background' one. But usually if you can't use a particular image in a layout, they don't give you an option for it.
And that's where i tend to get lost. (I should probably learn it, but I get bored.)
It's kinda fun, but time-consuming. I by no means know what I'm doing, but if someone gives me some code I can poke at it and figure out what it's doing?
Pretty much, apart from the top (right) module covering part of the banner. I guess that might be part of the basic layout?
I think we can push it down like we did with the main column, but I have to figure out what it's called in the formatting.
I was just playing around, I prefer it on the right.
Cool, cool.
Although I wish the default icon was as big as on LJ.
Yeah, the tiny profile link is just stupid. I'm sure you can change it, but one problem at a time.
Incidentally love your 'About'. That could go back up top (although I know I can input text in the modules, so no worries).
What, the Class quote? I just pulled it from your LJ to help you see the possibilities.
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*nods*
It's kinda fun, but time-consuming. I by no means know what I'm doing, but if someone gives me some code I can poke at it and figure out what it's doing?
It's funny, because Miss M did Computing for one of her GCSEs, and got an A*. And she claims that she didn't really know what she was doing, she was just good at writing. :)
I think we can push it down like we did with the main column, but I have to figure out what it's called in the formatting.
If I ever move to DW, it'll be because of you. <3
Yeah, the tiny profile link is just stupid. I'm sure you can change it, but one problem at a time.
Oh yes, and there is no rush!
What, the Class quote? I just pulled it from your LJ to help you see the possibilities.
Well, I thought that might be the case, but it amused me muchly. <3
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It's funny, because Miss M did Computing for one of her GCSEs, and got an A*. And she claims that she didn't really know what she was doing, she was just good at writing. :)
Good for her! Well, good writing, like good code, is all about structure?
If I ever move to DW, it'll be because of you. <3
*grinch grin*
Well, I thought that might be the case, but it amused me muchly. <3
Am not above dirty tricks . . .
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Don't worry about it! It's already a million times better than it was. Although I have been busy too - first updating my LJ layout - 'twas epiphany yesterday, couldn't have a Christmas banner any longer - and then attempting to make the DW mirror it as much as possible, which was awkward since DW has a LOT more colours...)
ANYWAY, it is, as I said, a lot nicer than it has ever been. Thank you. <3333
Good for her! Well, good writing, like good code, is all about structure?
I guess so. Her teacher still keeps her final project around to show the new students that they need quality, not quantity. /proud mother
*grinch grin*
*eyes narrow*
Am not above dirty tricks . . .
Ditto. >:)