Anyone know of a FREE app as good as adguard? $36/yr isn't bad, but
free would be better! I tried Netguard but it didn't block many ads.

>>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

jetjock wrote:
> Anyone know of a FREE app as good as adguard? $36/yr isn't bad, but
> free would be better! I tried Netguard but it didn't block many ads.
>
> >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

I've been using a free technique for years. It stops all ads when I play
games on an iPad/phone or an android device.
I simply turn off wifi.
All the games I play proceed well; they just carry on as normal but with
no ads. I suppose the coding consists of a call to the ad-routine, no
response, step to next instruction.

Ed

Ed Cryer wrote:
> jetjock wrote:
>> Anyone know of a FREE app as good as adguard? $36/yr isn't bad, but
>> free would be better! I tried Netguard but it didn't block many ads.
>>
>>       >>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<
>
> I've been using a free technique for years. It stops all ads when I play
> games on an iPad/phone or an android device.
> I simply turn off wifi.
> All the games I play proceed well; they just carry on as normal but with
> no ads. I suppose the coding consists of a call to the ad-routine, no
> response, step to next instruction.
>
> Ed
I've seen a few games that refuse to run without wifi; obviously to try
and forestall switching the Net off. But only a very few.
Most people will simply move to other games, and not be crowbarred into
being ad-splashed.
Ed

> Anyone know of a FREE app as good as adguard? $36/yr isn't bad, but
> free would be better! I tried Netguard but it didn't block many ads.

For Android 9.0+ I use the Private DNS feature server:
dns.adguard-dns.com

For Android 8.1 and below, I use Block This! DNS VPN ad-blocker.
https://block-this.com

Both system-wide DNS ad-blockers are very easy to use and work just as
well as the more complex ad-blocking solutions.

On Sat, 2 Mar 2024 13:05:44 -0600, kelown <kelown@privacy.invalid>
wrote:

>
>> Anyone know of a FREE app as good as adguard? $36/yr isn't bad, but
>> free would be better! I tried Netguard but it didn't block many ads.
>
>For Android 9.0+ I use the Private DNS feature server:
>dns.adguard-dns.com

I turned off both NetGuard app and the free trial of AdGuard app and
added the dns above. Looks like it's working great so far. Many thanks
to all who suggested this method!! I was skeptical initially, but it
appears to work.
>
>For Android 8.1 and below, I use Block This! DNS VPN ad-blocker.
>https://block-this.com
>
>Both system-wide DNS ad-blockers are very easy to use and work just as
>well as the more complex ad-blocking solutions.

>>>>>>>>>>jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

jetjock, 2024-03-02 18:40:

> Anyone know of a FREE app as good as adguard? $36/yr isn't bad, but
> free would be better! I tried Netguard but it didn't block many ads.

And how should such an app be maintained if no one is willing to pay for it?

--
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de

Arno Welzel wrote:
> jetjock, 2024-03-02 18:40:
>
>> Anyone know of a FREE app as good as adguard? $36/yr isn't bad, but
>> free would be better! I tried Netguard but it didn't block many ads.
>
> And how should such an app be maintained if no one is willing to pay for it?
>

Did the writer have a patron when he wrote it?

Ed

"Arno Welzel" <usenet@arnowelzel.de> wrote

| > Anyone know of a FREE app as good as adguard? $36/yr isn't bad, but
| > free would be better! I tried Netguard but it didn't block many ads.
| | And how should such an app be maintained if no one is willing to pay for
it?
|

Indeed. They usually get paid, if at all, by ads and by selling
private data to data wholesalers. That's the model that started
with the Internet. Neither side is honest. But it's even more
complicated. If you pay, they still might sell private data.

Ed Cryer, 2024-03-02 23:27:

> Arno Welzel wrote:
>> jetjock, 2024-03-02 18:40:
>>
>>> Anyone know of a FREE app as good as adguard? $36/yr isn't bad, but
>>> free would be better! I tried Netguard but it didn't block many ads.
>>
>> And how should such an app be maintained if no one is willing to pay for it?
>>
>
> Did the writer have a patron when he wrote it?

adguard is not free and Netguard asks for donations:

<https://netguard.me/>

However since dontations are not mandatory I don't think, that the
maintainers of Netguard get a lot of money for it.

I maintain some plugins for WordPress of which some have more than
20.000 active installations. Even with that many users less than 40
people donated something so far within the last 4 years. And yes, it is
a 5-star-rated plugin:

<https://wordpress.org/plugins/lightbox-photoswipe/>

--
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de

Newyana2, 2024-03-03 04:44:

> "Arno Welzel" <usenet@arnowelzel.de> wrote
>
> | > Anyone know of a FREE app as good as adguard? $36/yr isn't bad, but
> | > free would be better! I tried Netguard but it didn't block many ads.
> |
> | And how should such an app be maintained if no one is willing to pay for
> it?
> |
>
> Indeed. They usually get paid, if at all, by ads and by selling
> private data to data wholesalers. That's the model that started
> with the Internet. Neither side is honest. But it's even more
> complicated. If you pay, they still might sell private data.

Well - if an adblocker asks for money to maintain the blocklists, I
don't call this "not honest". Also there is no data to sell if you just
block ads.

On the other side: the apps I paid so far don't sell my private data
since there is nothing to sell either. For example OSMAnd get's money to
provide map data. The free version does this as well, but you can not
update as often as with the paid version. The paid version of FolderSync
has additional features and so on.

--
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de

"Arno Welzel" <usenet@arnowelzel.de> wrote

| Well - if an adblocker asks for money to maintain the blocklists, I
| don't call this "not honest". Also there is no data to sell if you just
| block ads.
|

There's all sorts of data to sell. They have your browsing
record at the very least. In most cases they have a lot more.
Since people don't want to pay, most apps that make
money do it through some combination of ads and spyware.

https://storage02.forbrukerradet.no/media/2020/01/mnemonic-security-test-report-v1.0.pdf

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/10/business/location-data-privacy-apps.html

https://www.wired.com/story/how-pentagon-learned-targeted-ads-to-find-targets-and-vladimir-putin/

| On the other side: the apps I paid so far don't sell my private data
| since there is nothing to sell either.

Very naive. The whole cellphone business runs on spyware.
Even phone companies are selling personal data.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/10/16/danal_payfone_mobile_personal_data/

There could certainly be honest app developers. The trouble is that
you don't really have any way to track all this and confirm honest
apps. Most app developers won't get paid without spying. Even if they
do get paid, since spying is now industry standard, what's to stop them
increasing their profits by selling data? What the heck? Everyone else
is doing it, right?

I once made a little side money writing shareware. As it turned out,
I was among the most successful, even though I never made a full
living at it. Almost no one paid if they didn't have to. With an activation
code, more people would pay, but the code always got hacked immediately.
Back then it wasn't feasible to put ads in software or sell personal data.
So most shareware developers just didn't get paid. With cellphone apps
the income is probably much worse because they're trinkets apps by
definition.

The problem is that the Internet, and now cellphone apps, have
developed in an environment where spying and exploitation became
the norm. A company holds out a bauble and hopes to pick the passerby's
pocket while they're reaching to grab the freebie. The passerby is
hoping to get something for nothing. Neither side is being honest.
Since most of the process is invisible and frictionless, it works
pretty well. If someone breaks into your house and collects personal
data, that's a serious crime. If someone uses your cellphone as a
tracking collar, that's clever marketing.

Perhaps the best example is Google. They made billions showing honest
text ads related to search terms. It was brilliant. Their search engine
was brilliant. Life was good. But they couldn't stop there. They were too
greedy. Today Google's main business is spyware. Their free services
are the spying medium. But their income is from spying and ads. And
now they all but own Android cellphones. It's possible that you're using
honest, non-spyware apps, but the odds are against it. Ostrich mentality
doesn't create privacy.

Newyana2, 2024-03-04 14:51:

> "Arno Welzel" <usenet@arnowelzel.de> wrote
>
> | Well - if an adblocker asks for money to maintain the blocklists, I
> | don't call this "not honest". Also there is no data to sell if you just
> | block ads.
> |
>
> There's all sorts of data to sell. They have your browsing
> record at the very least. In most cases they have a lot more.
> Since people don't want to pay, most apps that make
> money do it through some combination of ads and spyware.
>
> https://storage02.forbrukerradet.no/media/2020/01/mnemonic-security-test-report-v1.0.pdf
>
> https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/10/business/location-data-privacy-apps.html
>
> https://www.wired.com/story/how-pentagon-learned-targeted-ads-to-find-targets-and-vladimir-putin/

And what does this have to do with "ad blocking"? If you don't trust a
vendor at all, then *every* app is suspicous.

> | On the other side: the apps I paid so far don't sell my private data
> | since there is nothing to sell either.
>
> Very naive. The whole cellphone business runs on spyware.
> Even phone companies are selling personal data.

Ok, everyone is evil. I understand. So it's better not to use a
smartphone at all.

But just because I'm courious: do you know if this applies to one of the
following publishers as as well? Just a few of the apps I paid for:

<https://osmand.net/> (OSMand+)
<https://www.tacit.dk/> (FolderSync)
<https://electrodoc.it/> (Electrodoc)
<https://radio.garden/> (Radio Garden, offer a paid app as well)

More about Radio Garden: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Garden>

> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/10/16/danal_payfone_mobile_personal_data/
>
> There could certainly be honest app developers. The trouble is that
> you don't really have any way to track all this and confirm honest
> apps. Most app developers won't get paid without spying. Even if they
> do get paid, since spying is now industry standard, what's to stop them
> increasing their profits by selling data? What the heck? Everyone else
> is doing it, right?

Well - if you assume this, than I repeat it: don't use a smartphone at
all, since everyone is evil anyway in this business.

--
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de