Cosmetic Filter: Wired - Hide empty flash ad frame in footer of all posts

[collinbarrett]

One or more specific URLs where the issue occurs

http://www.wired.com/2016/04/average-webpage-now-size-original-doom/

Describe the issue

There is an empty flash ad frame at the bottom left corner of all (or at least a decent sized sample I just tested) posts on Wired.

Screenshot(s)

Your settings

• Browser/version: Chrome 50.0.2661.86 (64-bit) Mac
• uBlock Origin version: 1.6.8

[collinbarrett]

pr coming soon. trying to include checksum update as well.

[gorhill]

I don't see that empty placeholder on my side. Anyways, the rule is way too complicated. I guess it's what uBO offered, but no filter list maintainers would come up with such a rule.

Other point, as said last time, no need to open an issue separate from the pull request, the pull request itself can be documented just as well.

[collinbarrett]

Ok. Gotchya. I was thinking that I should still create an issue but it would be automatically created during the pr process, but I couldn't get that to work. Won't submit issues prior to prs in the future. Thanks.

[gorhill]

I still would like to understand how you ended up with a placeholder at that position, as said I can't see this on my side. You say "Flash ad frame", but your picture is that of an iframe element not being collapsed. What would be useful is the URL for that iframe.

[collinbarrett]

@gorhill hmm, ok, I am still trying to learn how to inspect, etc. Here's a capture in Chrome on Mac with both uBlock Origin and Reek's anti-adblocker script disabled. Maybe it's just an unsold ad space? I'm not sure. I see it in Safari on Mac, too.

[gorhill]

The iframe src is googleads.g.doubleclick.net/[...], so I expect this should be blocked. Can you look at what the logger reports?

[collinbarrett]

So, the logger reports the following:

Static filter ||googleads.g.doubleclick.net^ found in:

• hpHosts’ Ad and tracking servers
• Dan Pollock’s hosts file
• MVPS HOSTS

There is no visible ad showing up, but without the complex rule that the UBO picker generates, the html frame around where the ad should go is still visible. The rule, copied again below, hides the entire frame (not sure if "frame" is the right word).

www.wired.com###prefooter > .flex-box.clearfix.site-container > .mob-order-2.flex-row > .mob-order-1.big-col-12.med-col-10.col.float-l-med.float-l-big.article-group > .items-3.items.flex-row > .med-order-2.col.big-col-9.med-col-18 > .flex-row > .hide-mob.big-marg-b-med.med-marg-b-med.big-col-18.med-col-10.justify-c.align-m.flex-box.col.rad.bg-white

[okiehsch]

I can only reproduce your issue if i use a "allow" rule for
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js

If I block
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js

there is no iframe.

[collinbarrett]

@okiehsch , interesting. thanks! hmm... when filtering for that in logger, this is what I see. What is the order of operations in which the rules are applied? is one of the green rules overriding the red rule?

[collinbarrett]

oh, oops, you specified it was the show_ads.js which does have an allow rule applied. the allow rule is coming from Fanboy+Easylist-Merged Ultimate List. I'll have to dig around their forums and see why that is allowed. Thanks.

[collinbarrett]

ok, it's being allowed by that list in the following block. is there a way I can temporarily override that one rule from the list?

!---------- Anti Adblock Warnings ------
!
@@||g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?gdfp_req=1&$script,domain=forbes.com
@@||pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/*/show_ads_impl.js$domain=playonlinux.com|wired.com
@@||pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js$domain=playonlinux.com|wired.com
@@||wired.com/ams/page-ads.js
@@||wired.com^$generichide

[gorhill]

So it's possibly rules for ABP to work around Wired's anti blocker scheme? In that case, they should be overridden for the sake of uBO's users. Can you try:

||pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/*/show_ads_impl.js$important,domain=wired.com
||pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js$important,domain=wired.com
||wired.com/ams/page-ads.js$important

Update: Paradoxically, these exception filters are in Fanboy's Enhanced Tracking List -- I don't understand what their purpose are.

[collinbarrett]

@gorhill yep, adding those rules fixes it. this is the only rule that seems to be needed for the specific issue I'm seeing.

||pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js$important,domain=wired.com

[gorhill]

We need to find out why this exception filter was added.

[ryanbr]

Was added because of the Anti-adblock stuff, has the requirement for this rule changed?

[okiehsch]

If you use Adblock Plus wired.com articles will be blocked without
@@||pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/*/show_ads_impl.js$domain=playonlinux.com|wired.com
@@||pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js$domain=playonlinux.com|wired.com

The exception filter
@@||wired.com/ams/page-ads.js is unnecessary.

[gorhill]

Restored blocking filters using the important keyword.