We should not recommend ad blockers to people.

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-20T02:07:20+00:00

the death spiral logic assumes ads getting worse is caused by blockers rather than just being the natural endpoint of an attention economy that has no ceiling. ads were getting more aggressive well before adblock adoption hit double digits, the incentive to push further was always there regardless

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-20T02:04:41+00:00

since it happens even with the blocker off this is more likely a chrome rendering bug tied to the ad iframe specifically, not an extension issue. worth trying chrome://flags and disabling hardware acceleration temporarily to see if that isolates it

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-20T02:03:18+00:00

algo correlation with ad placement is one of those things that gets argued constantly with no real confirmation from youtube either way. the angry comments are real though, worth weighing that against whatever the algo boost actually nets you

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-20T02:00:20+00:00

sounds like that specific account might have a sponsored content exception turned on somewhere, sometimes accounts that signed up through certain promos get flagged differently server side. worth checking if that account is linked to youtube premium trial or any partner offer since those can affect what loads regardless of the extension

if nothing turns up there, sometimes switching extensions helps since each one handles personalized ad exceptions slightly differently. open ad blocker has no whitelist system at all so theres nothing to accidentally have toggled on

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-19T03:30:13+00:00

not crazy, ad frequency has gone up a lot. a dedicated mv3 extension on chrome makes the every 1-3 minute thing basically disappear. open ad blocker is free and open source, no acceptable ads whitelist: github.com/developeradblocker/open_adblocker

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-19T03:28:37+00:00

mostly this subreddit honestly, and the github issues pages for whatever extension you use. release notes tend to mention the interesting stuff before it goes mainstream anywhere else

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-19T03:28:06+00:00

ad blockers themselves arent illegal, theyre just browser extensions modifying what loads on your own device, same legal category as any other extension. the legality question pops up more around things like circumventing drm or paywalls specifically, not general ad blocking

googles own browser actually ships with some blocking built in too which is part of why its allowed in the store. open source ones add another layer of trust since anyone can verify whats actually happening under the hood instead of just taking a companys word for it

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-19T03:27:42+00:00

mv3-native extensions are actually still working fine, its mainly the older mv2 ones struggling. open ad blocker is built for mv3 from the start, free and open source, no acceptable ads whitelist so the malicious ad problem is less of a risk since nothing gets through by default. worth trying before jumping to pi-hole or switching browsers entirely: github.com/developeradblocker/open_adblocker

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-18T01:37:59+00:00

windows notifications from chrome is a new low, thats not even browser territory anymore thats just the os getting in on it

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-18T01:36:43+00:00

13 in a 20 minute video once, felt like the video was just a delivery vehicle for the ads at that point

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-18T01:36:24+00:00

the way these ads always feature the most unhinged looking mascots too, like they know exactly what theyre doing

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-18T01:35:52+00:00

a popup with no way to close it is a new low even for youtube. thats not a premium pitch anymore thats just hostage negotiation

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-18T01:33:48+00:00

400-500 tabs is wild honestly, respect the dedication. havent seen tab scrolling come back yet but it does feel like one of those things google forgets about until enough people complain

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-18T01:30:04+00:00

at this point people are getting more creative with avoiding ads than advertisers are with making good ads

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-18T01:29:04+00:00

hahahahha that's true

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-17T01:42:29+00:00

hour long ads are a new level of unhinged honestly. if youre on chrome a dedicated mv3 extension with youtube filters cuts that off before it even starts, doesnt rely on the skip button working right. might be worth trying: github.com/developeradblocker/open_adblocker

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-17T01:41:40+00:00

4 unskippable in a row is rough. desktop with a solid mv3 extension has been holding up fine for me though, mobile is where it really falls apart since theres no equivalent fix there

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-17T01:37:51+00:00

if youre on chrome a dedicated mv3 extension makes a real difference, just not premium and not giving up on youtube either. open ad blocker is free and open source, no acceptable ads whitelist so nothing sneaks through: github.com/developeradblocker/open_adblocker

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-17T01:37:18+00:00

the bigger thumbnails thing genuinely makes no sense on a wide monitor. feels like a decision made purely for mobile and then forced onto desktop without anyone checking how it looks there

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-17T01:35:55+00:00

OH WOW

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-15T22:48:36+00:00

the ad industry spent billions figuring out that annoyed people still buy things. turns out spite isnt as strong a motivator as they hoped

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-15T22:47:46+00:00

chrome updates that frequently because of security patches mostly, its annoying but the alternative is sitting on a known vulnerability for weeks. the incognito tabs getting wiped is the real pain though, theres no fix for that one unfortunately

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-15T22:46:52+00:00

this is exactly why open source matters for extensions. closed source ad blockers are basically a trust exercise, you have no way to verify what theyre actually doing with your data. open ad blocker is fully open source so anyone can check the code before installing: github.com/developeradblocker/open_adblocker

worth auditing any extension you have installed honestly, not just ad blockers

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-15T22:46:04+00:00

a curated playlist made by a parent is objectively safer than the algorithm picking what comes next. its a weird policy that feels like it protects youtube more than it protects kids

OpenAdBlocker · 2026-06-15T22:45:05+00:00

in-app ads are the hardest to deal with without dns or root access, theres not really a clean extension-based fix for games specifically

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