Question about filters

General information, announcements and questions about the EasyList subscriptions.
Locked
Guest
Guest

Question about filters

Post by Guest »

Hope you don't mind me asking but I'm just curious why you have a list of filters like:

/ads/*.asp
/ads/*.gif|
/ads/*.htm
...

Is that because '/ads/*' causes some false positives?
User avatar
rick752
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 4508
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:02 am
Location: New York, USA

Post by rick752 »

Anonymous wrote:Hope you don't mind me asking but I'm just curious why you have a list of filters like:

/ads/*.asp
/ads/*.gif|
/ads/*.htm
...

Is that because '/ads/*' causes some false positives?
Yes they do ... the problem is mostly for different video feeds, especially different news one that run the "/ads/" string within the initiation code. The specific problem mostly lies in */realmedia/ads/* strings which cannot always be blocked for this reason because it contains */ads/*. It was a little tricky working around it with simple filters. I was debating about creating a single regexp for them but came under fire from my 'team' for even suggestion such a thing. :oops: They like the 'simples'. But some new 'switches' in ABP should allow me to re-write the filters to be more specific.



I am just now testing a way to fix the way they are written in my filters so there aren't as many */ads/* strings in there
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it"
IceDogg
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 580
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:50 pm

Post by IceDogg »

rick752 wrote:I was debating about creating a single regexp for them but came under fire from my 'team' for even suggestion such a thing. :oops: They like the 'simples'.
Guilty, but I wouldn't have hunted you down or anything :P

Nice to know you may fine a way around it. You and WP are workaholics.
User avatar
rick752
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 4508
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:02 am
Location: New York, USA

Post by rick752 »

IceDogg wrote:
rick752 wrote:I was debating about creating a single regexp for them but came under fire from my 'team' for even suggestion such a thing. :oops: They like the 'simples'.
Guilty, but I wouldn't have hunted you down or anything :P

Nice to know you may fine a way around it. You and WP are workaholics.
Yes Dogg ... I think we both drink a lot and then work :lol:
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it"
IceDogg
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 580
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:50 pm

Post by IceDogg »

Evan Williams been calling me this weekend. Painting is driving me to it. Yuke!
User avatar
rick752
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 4508
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:02 am
Location: New York, USA

Post by rick752 »

IceDogg wrote: Nice to know you may find a way around it.
It is because of starting to use some of the new syntaxes that I am now going to stop supporting versions of Adblock/Adblock Plus earlier than 0.7.1.

(That ought to go over like a fart in church, hey?)

I'm adding it to the forum now. Might as well ... getting a free hour of time tonite.
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it"
User avatar
rick752
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 4508
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:02 am
Location: New York, USA

Post by rick752 »

IceDogg wrote:Evan Williams been calling me this weekend. Painting is driving me to it. Yuke!
:lol:
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it"
Guest
Guest

Post by Guest »

rick752 wrote:I am just now testing a way to fix the way they are written in my filters so there aren't as many */ads/* strings in there
Oh you mean like:

/ads/*$~object

Never new about those switches.
User avatar
rick752
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 4508
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:02 am
Location: New York, USA

Post by rick752 »

Exactly:

I'm testing:
*/ads/*$images

to replace the gif, jpg, and png ones first. Haven't tried any of these new syntaxes yet, but one of my team suggested using one of those to fix a false-positive. Now I'm taking a look at the whole thing to see if there are more uses for those.
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it"
User avatar
rick752
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 4508
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:02 am
Location: New York, USA

Post by rick752 »

To add even more info for you guys, it seems that */banners/* was blocking the background of the top logo area of weather.com.

Stupid Head suggested using:

Code: Select all

*/banners/*$~background
Using a tilda (~) before the syntax 'identifier' removes that item from the block ... it means "except".

So basically what it says is, "Block everything with */banners/* , EXCEPT if it is a background.

If you don't use the tilda, then it says, "Block */banners/* only if it IS a background.

My problem and curiosity right now is what these syntaxes will actually block ... or actually allow. Will a $script kill media .. or flash? Does the $image syntax remove png besides gifs and jpegs? And after testing a little, the "~background" is NOT like a whitelist string... it will be overridden by another filter block that matches up to that same 'background' image.

And what in hell did I make each filter string of mine to block? ... images, scripting, objects? .... I don't know!

Work, work, work 8)
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it"
Guest
Guest

Post by Guest »

rick752 wrote:Will a $script kill media .. or flash? Does the $image syntax remove png besides gifs and jpegs?
The easiest way to tell is open up the blockable items window, next to the link the type is specified. For example flash and media are usually listed as 'Objects' so $script would not block them.
User avatar
rick752
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 4508
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:02 am
Location: New York, USA

Post by rick752 »

Ah that is true by what you see as the final output.

Sometimes things are initiated by scripting though (yes, even an object), and THEN outputted by what you see in the blockable items list.

Got to be careful!
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it"
Guest
Guest

Post by Guest »

Wouldn't the object link be something different from the script that loaded it? But I see what you mean you do need to be careful.

You should talk to Wladimir about creating a database where known ad links can be added and common false positives too. Then to paste filters to be checked against them. It would be an easy way to test your filter set after making a change to prevent blocking something you already fixed previously.
User avatar
rick752
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 4508
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:02 am
Location: New York, USA

Post by rick752 »

@ Guest:

Why don't you just register here? It's easier to post and get notified that way. You obviously have an interest in this.

I enjoy listening to anyone who brings "anything to the table" here. All points are well taken in this forum and we do not have trolls here. This forum is very laid back with very good people.
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it"
User avatar
rick752
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 4508
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:02 am
Location: New York, USA

Post by rick752 »

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't the object link be something different from the script that loaded it? But I see what you mean you do need to be careful.

You should talk to Wladimir about creating a database where known ad links can be added and common false positives too. Then to paste filters to be checked against them. It would be an easy way to test your filter set after making a change to prevent blocking something you already fixed previously.
What I'm saying is that people would create (say) a block using the $script syntax. The next thing you know, they are complaining about not being to see a flash video because the script actually initiated that too.

Wladimir has been talking about finally starting his "global database" that he has been talking to me about for months. ABP may just be ready to handle it now.
This would definitely change a lot of things as far as filter-making goes.
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it"
Anonymous Coward
Guest

Post by Anonymous Coward »

Yeah I realised after I made my last post what you were getting at. It took me a while to catch on. Sorry about that.

Is this "global database" related to his plan for "Automatic filter generation" in Adblock Plus 0.8? Anyway keep up the good work.
User avatar
rick752
Honorary Member
Honorary Member
Posts: 4508
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:02 am
Location: New York, USA

Post by rick752 »

Anonymous Coward wrote:Is this "global database" related to his plan for "Automatic filter generation" in Adblock Plus 0.8? Anyway keep up the good work.
Thanx for the kudos.

Sometimes I think that Wladimir is waiting to see where the program takes HIM ... and not so much the other way around. He has a direction but then he'll have a breakthrough and then ..... ??????
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it"
Locked