But how many are actually using uBlock Origin? Nearly every person I come across is using AdBlock, AdBlock Plus, or some other adblocker, no matter how many times I recommend they switch to uBlock Origin. Most people are not aware of what Chrome’s changes mean (or of the changes at all) and for those that do use uBlock Origin, my guess is most people will simply switch to a different adblocker rather than switch to a different browser.
I doubt uBlock Origin being removed from Chrome will change the status quo. Maybe in a few years when enough powerusers convince enough casual users. If you just look at software out in the world, it's clear that powerusers have next to zero influence. It's why desktop Linux use, for example, is still just a blip after all of these years.
> my guess is most people will simply switch to a different adblocker rather than switch to a different browser.
the moment they can't find ad blocker that actually works they will stop switching ad blockers and switch browsers.
What's holding back linux isn't the lack of influence power users have, it's that it's still lacking in gaming, hardware compatibility, and ease of use (although those are improving all the time)
This is correct. I remember showing friends Chrome after hearing their complaints about how slow IE was. Some had to get over the hurdle of downloading and installing chrome (whereas IE just came with the laptop) but once they used it they never looked back.
That's just wrong. It's impossible for uBlock Origin to turn itself into a content blocker while retaining its current functionality.
Content blockers in Safari are limited to 50k filters. uBlock Origin's default filters have more than that. Therefore, the choice is between a new, but much less useful extension, or no extension at all. uBlock Origin decided on the latter.
People always downplay the power that technical users have on regular people.
Who do you think the moms and friends all listen to? Their technical friends. This of course won't hit 90% of users but it's enough to have a large influence well beyond just power users.
Few companies survive pissing off the nerds when there is legitimate competition available in consumer products.
B2B enterprise sales is a totally different beast than free consumer software. That type of boardroom decision making is inherently disconnected from the technical capabilities and even integration success rates.
I think if it was that small, Google wouldn’t take an aggressive stance against ad blocking. They would likely retain more users overall by appealing to that small power user minority that converts others.
