Blocking a website

[tamada]

I use a video player app called GOM Player. Whenever I use it and then close it, it launches a third-party 'sponsors' website (a gaming offer) in my default browser. It's the same whenever I do a GOM update. When it's finished, it will launch a couple of pages in my default browser, one is their latest product page and the other is another game advert from the same company.

GOM's latest product pages I can handle but the game website is just bloody annoying.

You would think that browsers would make it simple like being able to select/highlight the offending url in the address bar, right-click and select 'Block' but s far as I am aware, this easy bypass isn't offered.

If you use Firefox, you need to install a third-party Add-on like Block Site.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... k-website/

For Chrome, an extension is needed and Block Site is also available.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/deta ... nmfb?hl=en

I am testing these to see how consistent they are (and to see if they also launch spurious promo urls).

[Whistler]

Other things worth considering

Adblocker
Ghostly

also check that the offending malware has not added an extension to Chrome

[tamada]

Other things worth considering

Adblocker
Ghostly

also check that the offending malware has not added an extension to Chrome

I have Ad Blocker Plus. Used infrequently but handy when I hit the odd side that begs for money.

What's Ghostly?

What offending malware? I don't subscribe to the games and although the GOM installer/updater tries to trick the less savvy with an 'express' installation that would install third-party stuff one doesn't want or need, it's all pretty clean around here.

[Potamoi]

Have you tried Brave?

Like Opera, it has an adblocker built in.

https://brave.com/

It gives stats on its default dashboard page too:

Quite customisable. I have not used it much yet but it ticks all the right boxes.

[tamada]

An Adblocker won't stop a website launching a new page for a sponsor's website.

Opera is my third-level browser. gets aired once or twice a week. I don't see any native website blocking ability but Block Site does do an Opera addon that will.

I haven't tried Brave yet but will give it a whirl.

When Firefox was getting a bit pokey on a low bandwidth internet link while working offshore, there was a version called Pale Moon that was basically a stripped-down Firefox so ran quicker. The issue was it didn't keep current with Firefox when it came to updates. With faster connections, I stopped using it. Just checked their website and it looks like they've caught up with a major update just last month.

https://www.palemoon.org/

[rick]

Wouldn't it be easier to get a different video player?

[tamada]

Wouldn't it be easier to get a different video player?

I like GOM's products like GOM Audio. It's not a major impediment to enjoying videos on their platform. However, if they get more persistent and it's too much of a faff, then I will probably delete that app and find another.

[AntonioDean]

Have you tried Brave?

Like Opera, it has an adblocker built in.

https://brave.com/

It gives stats on its default dashboard page too:

Brave.jpg

Quite customisable. I have not used it much yet but it ticks all the right boxes.

I tried it, I found it works quite well

[Whistler]

Also consider 'duck duck go' as search engine, it stops cookies/history from being shared

[Potamoi]

Also consider 'duck duck go' as search engine, it stops cookies/history from being shared

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and- ... sed-rival/

Brave also has a search engine.

https://brave.com/search/#independent

None are as fast and comprehensive as Google. There are trade-offs convenience vs security for sure. I tend to play around with different browsers and search engines. Brave+Brave, Firefox+DuckDuckGo, Chrome+Google and Edge+Bing the latter being the least used. Although Bing has AI built in, it is slower than a ChatGPT 3.5 tab when its logged in already.

[tamada]

Due to my current client's proclivities for all things Microsofty, it's been about 6 weeks of "edgy outlooking". I guess one can get used to just about anything.

[Whistler]

Also consider 'duck duck go' as search engine, it stops cookies/history from being shared

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and- ... sed-rival/

Brave also has a search engine.

https://brave.com/search/#independent

None are as fast and comprehensive as Google. There are trade-offs convenience vs security for sure. I tend to play around with different browsers and search engines. Brave+Brave, Firefox+DuckDuckGo, Chrome+Google and Edge+Bing the latter being the least used. Although Bing has AI built in, it is slower than a ChatGPT 3.5 tab when its logged in already.

Edge, yuk.

No matter how MS tries to ram this down your throat Bing and Edge are just too intrusive.

[tamada]

Also consider 'duck duck go' as search engine, it stops cookies/history from being shared

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and- ... sed-rival/

Brave also has a search engine.

https://brave.com/search/#independent

None are as fast and comprehensive as Google. There are trade-offs convenience vs security for sure. I tend to play around with different browsers and search engines. Brave+Brave, Firefox+DuckDuckGo, Chrome+Google and Edge+Bing the latter being the least used. Although Bing has AI built in, it is slower than a ChatGPT 3.5 tab when its logged in already.

Edge, yuk.

No matter how MS tries to ram this down your throat Bing and Edge are just too intrusive.

Edge is fine once you avoid the dross that MS thinks you'll find interesting and import your own favorites, etc.. I have never enabled Bing in IE's earlier versions and still don't use it now. You don't have to use it.

Google is quite intrusive as well but maybe we've all become accustomed to it? A few years back, I disabled their 'Discover' feature on the phone so I don't get their news/dross feed and conversely, they don't get a fast-track to the stuff that I prefer to waste my time on.

Not into AI...got enough of my own to be getting on with.