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I have used PithHelmet for several years and have generally been quite satisfied with it. But I fear it is near end of life.

To replace PithHelmet, I am considering Safari AdBlocker and GlimmerBlocker.

But I don’t know which to choose and I have been unsuccessful in finding a comparison matrix or head-to head-review of ad blockers.

Ergo, this post to ask opinions from them what I trust. Your thoughts & musings are indeed valued.

FWIW, my browser of choice is Safari.
All I can tell you is I am using Glimmer Blocker and it seems to work well. I am partial to it because it is entirely external to the browser and works with any browser.

I also use OpenDNS on my network which offers very flexible and highly customizable filtering of network traffic and it too does a decent job of eliminating a lot of advertising sites that would otherwise show up in the browser.
You might want to experiment with PithHelmet 3.0b3. It was just released. Caveat: I haven't tried it myself.
Every once in a rare while I find an obnoxious pop-under, Harv, but otherwise I get excellent results from a combination of Ad Subtract and SafariBlock. (Ad Subtract requires no configuration...it just works, and SafariBlock is easily configurable by control-clicking on ads you don't want to see.)

The possible down-side of relying on the pair is that SafariBlock only works in Snow Leopard if Safari is running in 32 bit mode.

(And don't ever forget about ClickToFlash!)
Jon, I installed PH 3.0b3 without issue. AFAIK, it run as before.
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One of the issues I hope to avoid is running in 32 bit mode, though that is, for now, of lesser importance as I only have 2 GB RAM.

AdBlocker/GlimmerBlocker: What I like:
• I’ll always be able to upgrade Safari without breaking GlimmerBlocker.
• GlimmerBlocker doesn't hack Safari
• It is very stable.
But, it does not stop pop-unders, and I really hate those critters.

SafariAdBlocker: What I like:
• Built for 10.5+ and is 64 bit
• The developer seems very responsive to user issues & suggestions.

But what, pray tell, are the “subscriptions” that seems so gawd awful important? And, what is a Glim?
I've been happy with pithhelmet since version 1. I'm currently running version 3. It does an excellent job at "collapsing" annoying flashy ads and banners out of the web page so you don't even know they were there. They don't show up as big empty white spaces. Browsing without pithhelmet can be quite a disturbing experience once you're used to it.

Why do you fear they are about to go away?

There are a few pages I go to occasionally that are just over one screen of page. But on another machine or on firefox, it's a seizure-inducing 3-4 pages and the content is actually hard to find on the screen amidst the chaos.
I second the recommendation for ClickToFlash. (Not keen on blocking all ads as I like to support the sites I visit regularly, but I detest Flash ads.)
This CSS file purports to load but not display: http://www.floppymoose.com/



Originally Posted By: Hal Itosis
This CSS file purports to load but not display: http://www.floppymoose.com/

That sounds similar, if not identical, to AdSubtract.
> One of the issues I hope to avoid is running in 32 bit mode, though that is, for now, of lesser importance as I only have 2 GB RAM.

Remember this?
I've just installed Safari AdBlocker. So far, no meltdowns, so that's good. But, not enough time yet to evaluate. I've read that no blocker will spurn pop-under ads however. Has anyone heard differently?
Is it possible to give an example of a site that consistently delivers pop-under ads? I can't remember the last time I saw one so haven't bothered trying to filter them.
Originally Posted By: Dermot Trellis
Is it possible to give an example of a site that consistently delivers pop-under ads? I can't remember the last time I saw one so haven't bothered trying to filter them.


I'll try to save to save an example as you suggested, but as I often have several windows open simultaneously, it could be that the culprit is one several sites. My History may allow me to actually pinpoint the offending site. For sure I'll give it a go.

It does seem however, that the pop-under is usually advertising NetFlix.
It Happens to me at jigzone.com
FWIW, the Washington Post website produces pop-under ad windows (frequently featuring NetFlix).
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