Avoiding Tracking - Now with Data

Message

nooby · #31 Post by **nooby** » Thu 26 Dec 2013, 05:21

Mike thanks for that info.
I should take a look but
I got concerned about me not
getting your advice that I don't get.

delete when not running and after changing the setting...

oops do you mean when Firefox is not running?
Change what setting? Damn I feel so dense or dim bulb.

Here is my profile at .mozilla

[General]
StartWithLastProfile=1

[Profile0]
Name=default
IsRelative=1
Path=bxzh9zq3.default

so I should go into that directory?
bxzh9zq3.default okay I try that one then.

and look for urlclassifier3.sqlite whic is
on my set up 5MB big. Thanks I get it now
but I almost got headache to wild guess
what to do

So what I still fail to get is

after changing the setting.

Maybe you wrote about that further up in thread

Barkin · #32 Post by **Barkin** » Thu 26 Dec 2013, 11:17

nooby wrote:... what I still fail to get is
after changing the setting.
Maybe you wrote about that further up in thread

I think Mike is referring to the settings to disable in-browser anti-phishing anti-malware , (see attachment).

For most people Phishing is more of a concern than Google tracking web their browsing , if you disable the anti-phishing "block reported web forgeries" you stop FireFox-browser communicating with Google without your permission , but without this type of anti-phishing service you are are more likely to get phished. I have the WOT addon for firefox which warns me about dodgy links on the page viewed, ( NB: like Google, WOT can track your browsing with this type of anti-phishing anti-malware service ).

mikeb · #33 Post by **mikeb** » Thu 26 Dec 2013, 12:56

Like antivirus, anti phishing can only block KNOWN sites...the next time a new domain is used or virus is written they fail, so to me a little futile.... better to simply use less vunerable software to interface with the internet....you might be in contact but no real harm gets done that way.

Our email domain gets blocked occasionally by some mail hosts as it gets tagged as a spam source.....who knows why but its annoying and we don't spam anyone...I find such 'protection' lists dubious really. Its also funny as google and yahoo broadcast their emails via their messengers which brings in spam quite happily yet get so finiky about other hosts.

back to the question it's a funny one as for some those urlclassifier3.squlites can get huge...

mike

nooby · #34 Post by **nooby** » Thu 26 Dec 2013, 13:18

Thanks to both of you
and now I get it. Much appreciated you cared.
I'm not the sharpest knife in my Out house drawer

playdayz · #35 Post by **playdayz** » Sat 28 Dec 2013, 16:25

Hallelujah, we have some actual data, and the data gives what I regard as a very useful and usable option. Adblock Plus is now available with anti-tracking and anti-malware lists to supplement their traditional anti-ad list, and a study from Stanford concludes that this combo is the one of the most effective at blocking tracking. Under Disable Tracking at the Adblock Plus site you will find a link to the study and links to add the anti-tracking and anti-malware lists -> https://adblockplus.org/en/features I have always used Adblock Plus (personally I don't see why anyone wouldn't) and I have been using the two new lists with no negative impact on browsing convenience. The anti-malware list is *not* the google list mentioned in this discussion as far as I can tell, so one can turn off those anti-malware and anti-phishing options in Firefox. In Add-ons, I set Update for Adblock Plus to On to make sure of the latest lists. One can also enable the Do Not track option in Firefox, and with those things done I think the goals of blocking tracking in order to speed up browsing by blocking internet traffic to the multiple trackers embedded in many pages, avoid malware, and avoid tracking are achieved as best as can be with a set it and forget it approach. Plus this is done with only one add-on which should be more efficient with less possibility of bad interactions.

In the screenshot, EasyList and EasyPrivacy are the Adblock lists, but the Fanboy lists should also work with Adblock Plus, but I haven't tested that for usability.

There are some other messages that I would like to reply to but I am going traveling in the morning and I wanted to make sure to post this.

Oh, how to add Adblock Plus. In Firefox, go to Tools -> Addons and search for Adblock Plus (remember that you need to add the other two lists to achieve these goals)

bark_bark_bark · #36 Post by **bark_bark_bark** » Sat 28 Dec 2013, 17:39

playdayz wrote:One can also enable the Do Not track option in Firefox

I would avoid using that option. It is a weak standars only accepted by less than 1/500,000th of the internet. Plus this is a weak standard (which is more dangerous than no standard, but still it this is very risky).

playdayz · #37 Post by **playdayz** » Sat 28 Dec 2013, 17:58

bark_bark_bark wrote:
playdayz wrote:One can also enable the Do Not track option in Firefox
I would avoid using that option. It is a weak standars only accepted by less than 1/500,000th of the internet. Plus this is a weak standard (which is more dangerous than no standard, but still it this is very risky).

Yes. It does very little according to the Stanford report because the trackers ignore it.

greengeek · #38 Post by **greengeek** » Sat 28 Dec 2013, 18:29

bark_bark_bark wrote:don't use a html5 capable browser

What I would really like to have is an HTML5 capable browser (I think this will become unavoidable...) but with
easily handled inbuilt controls for limiting the HTML5 functions so that local storage is forbidden, but other
features selectable as desired. (Something a bit like the Internet Explorer slider that Microsoft offers for
selecting between "high-medium-low" security web connection).

Maybe something like:

^ HTML5 without any restrictions
|
| HTML5 with minimal local storage and minimal tracking
|
| HTML5 with no storage but minimal tracking
|
| HTML5 with maximum restrictions (no tracking, no cookies, no storage)
v

etc etc

nooby · #39 Post by **nooby** » Sat 28 Dec 2013, 18:58

I have used NoScript but being as noob
as I am I fail to get how to use AdBlock

No criticism to the Devs of Adblock at all.

I usually fail to get every interface or program
I try to get how to set up or use. A big sadness
that I am that bad at tech and software things.

I have loved computing for some 50 years
and had great hope me could manage it.

I bought books on Assembler programming
but totally failed. Sorry being that off topic.

mikeb · #40 Post by **mikeb** » Sat 28 Dec 2013, 19:55

(Something a bit like the Internet Explorer slider that Microsoft offers for
selecting between "high-medium-low" security web connection).

you mean make something like that but that actually does something useful..... thanks for the chuckle ...brightened up my day. Once I learnt that very mechanism is one of the gateways to viruses (the zone system) it sort of lost its apparent power.

...thought I would drift off topic too.

Nice to have some actual statistics to work with playdayz rather than ...'well it seems ok for me stuff'. My suggestions are more performance tweaks anyway.

Barkin · #41 Post by **Barkin** » Sat 28 Dec 2013, 21:04

nooby wrote:I have used NoScript but being as noob
as I am I fail to get how to use AdBlock

You need to subscribe to a filter list , which contains the items to be blocked ...

gcmartin · #42 Post by **gcmartin** » Sun 29 Dec 2013, 18:01

Anyone see value in MozCleaner?
Or this Adblock Edge?

Wondering ...

nooby · #43 Post by **nooby** » Mon 30 Dec 2013, 08:07

Thank Barkin that is why noscript is easier
due to there I only open those I want.

Barkin · #44 Post by **Barkin** » Mon 30 Dec 2013, 09:46

nooby wrote:Thank Barkin that is why noscript is easier
due to there I only open those I want.

If any webpage doesn't function properly with AdBlock enabled it can be quickly disabled with a [middle] click of the mouse on the AdBlock icon , (then reload the page) ...

playdayz · #45 Post by **playdayz** » Wed 15 Jan 2014, 18:41

There is a Firefox pet that incorporates information from this discussion.

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 375#751375

This is not the end of it, or need not be. Other topics might include:

1. google redirects: when you search google you actually get a hidden redirect so that google knows what sites are visited. There are add-ons that can disable this.

2. typo protection: when you mistype a url you can get a spoof site. This happened to me traveling; I typed gamrin.com and got a site that looked like garmin, with items for map update, etc. They even got me to click something. The add-on url fixer can give some protection from this.

3. Best Firefox settings?

4. Is it worth while to add Ghostery or NoScript to Adblock Plus, or replace Adblock Plus. Or other worthwhile add-ons?

mikeb · #46 Post by **mikeb** » Wed 15 Jan 2014, 19:03

That is most goodly and industrious of you Mr Playdayz.

The protagonists of puppy will be most grateful for yet another humdillious contribution to their well being.

mike

NickAu · #47 Post by **NickAu** » Sun 26 Jan 2014, 04:01

paydayz

I would like not to participate and even interfere to the extent possible, even though I know it will not make any difference to the world at large.

Not true, Can you say Jesus or Muhamed or Buda or any of the other great people who started as 1 voice and now we live by those standards

gcmartin · #48 Post by **gcmartin** » Sun 26 Jan 2014, 08:35

Again

Anyone understand the value in MozCleaner?
Or this Adblock Edge?

Comment if you do.

playdayz · #49 Post by **playdayz** » Tue 28 Jan 2014, 02:06

gcmartin wrote:

Adblock Edge?

Adblock Edge is a fork of the Adblock Plus version 2.1.2 extension for blocking advertisements on the web. This fork will provide the same features as Adblock Plus 2.X and higher but without "acceptable ads" feature. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/seamon ... serprofile

However, Adblock Plus allows turning off the "acceptable" advertising "feature," so I just stick with it.

"Acceptable " ads means no flashing, etc., and the word Advertisement written at the top, plus other things -> https://adblockplus.org/en/acceptable-ads#criteria

(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Avoiding Tracking - Now with Data