[sf-lug] An unpleasant experience

[Akkana Peck]

Rick Moen writes:
> Quoting voyager640 at gmail.com (voyager640 at gmail.com):
> 
> > Ublock origin has an optional blocking list that blocks adblock nag
> > notices... So you don't have to put up with the sites that try to
> > guilt you into switching off adblock.
> 
> Since she didn't sign it, I'll mention that that was the estimable
> Akkana Peck speaking!

Wait, what? I greatly appreciate the nice words, but
voyager640 at gmail.com is not me (and I usually sign my messages
and definitely would never sign off with "Sent from my iPhone".

I have heard Ublock origin recommended by someone whose opinion I respect,
and it sounds well worthwhile, but I haven't yet tried it myself.

> I recommend spending a few hours wandering around Akkana's Web site ...

*blush*

But now I'm probably going to destroy your high opinion of me by
asking a dumb question. Earlier in this thread, you mentioned HTTPS
Everywhere as "essential!" I appreciate that it's useful for privacy
for cases like surfing sites you don't want others to know about
on an open wi-fi link, or for guarding against your ISP injecting
their own ads into web pages. But my ISP doesn't seem to be
injecting so far (or if it is, I'm not seeing it due to noscript +
adblock), my home wi-fi uses WPA, and most of my browsing that
isn't already on sites that force HTTPS is innocuous stuff that
I don't care if my ISP snoops on. Of course, I always check the
urlbar to make sure I'm using HTTPS before entering a password or
other private information. So I've never seen a need for HTTPS
Everywhere. What am I missing?

Regarding private browsing mode:  I keep a private browser around
since so many sites don't work at all with noscript (you mentioned
that it simplifies web pages ... I find it simplifies many pages to
the point where there's no content at all, just a blank white empty
space). I used to keep a separate firefox profile with all defaults,
no noscript or adblock or cookie blocking or anything, and then call
it up as "firefox --private-window -new-instance -P Default" whenever
I hit a site I wanted to look at that didn't work in my normal firefox
window. But I got tired of the waiting: even when firefox libraries
are already loaded, starting up a new profile still takes too long.
So I scripted a minimal python-webkit-gtk browser that starts up
much faster and doesn't store any cookies or other identifying info.
Having a quick-starting private browser also turned out to be useful
for displaying non-plaintext messages and attachments from mutt.

        ...Akkana