[HN Gopher] Oh Frick Go Back: GUI Tool to Removes Ads from Vario...
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       Oh Frick Go Back: GUI Tool to Removes Ads from Various Places
       Around Windows 11
        
       Author : ajdude
       Score  : 29 points
       Date   : 2024-05-02 16:29 UTC (6 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (github.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
        
       | tardismechanic wrote:
       | I don't get it. Why is it called that?
        
         | Phiwise_ wrote:
         | I'd guess this:
         | https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/2046415-upgrade-button
        
       | zachmu wrote:
       | Microsoft cramming more and more ads in their OS could be the
       | push we need to finally achieve the year of the Linux desktop
        
         | lop wrote:
         | If these tools didn't exist, more sane people would switch to
         | Mac or (even better) to Linux... (crazy world ;- )
        
         | observationist wrote:
         | Good luck getting people to recognize that much of their
         | frustration with computers is deliberate, and a consequence of
         | software patents and the monopolistic games played by megacorps
         | in order to suppress competition and ensure dependency. It's
         | easier for people to learn to cope and put up with the small
         | annoyances than to deal with a big disruption that pays off
         | later, and Microsoft knows exactly where the limits are, and
         | will push people for every tiny percent of exploitable
         | territory that won't cause them to leave.
         | 
         | Unless IP laws get overhauled, this is the way things will be -
         | total surveillance, the user is the product, the customer is
         | the megacorporations positioned to exploit adtech at scale.
         | Infinite growth and endless passive income for the rich,
         | everyone else gets to be frogs in some dystopian eternally-
         | approaching-but-not-quite-boiling pot. Consumer rights and
         | corporate limits in the context of modern technology bounded by
         | fundamental civil liberties are the way to sanity. A lot of
         | very wealthy people and their cadres of very influential
         | cronies would lose wealth and influence if the system were to
         | be repaired.
         | 
         | So yeah, it's easier to just cope and let things more or less
         | suck.
        
       | rhplus wrote:
       | Appears to be an exe. Any reason why not just a `.reg` file?
        
         | fwip wrote:
         | Well, it's a GUI tool. So that's part of it.
        
       | autoexec wrote:
       | I get why people want things like this, but it's pointless to try
       | to fight against a user-hostile OS that forces updates on you
       | whenever they feel like it since any one of those updates can
       | undo anything you've changed and introduce much worse.
       | 
       | Microsoft has already decided that they will collect as much of
       | your private data as they can in order to turn their Windows OS
       | into an advertising platform. If that bothers you the only real
       | solution is to stop using Windows.
        
         | ProllyInfamous wrote:
         | >If that bothers you the only real solution is to stop using
         | Windows.
         | 
         | I don't know, Windows 7 Pro 64-bit is still a pretty great
         | solution, personally.
        
           | babypuncher wrote:
           | There is lots of popular consumer software that no longer
           | runs on Windows 7.
        
           | RIMR wrote:
           | Using a 15 year old OS that hasn't had a security update for
           | over 4 years as your daily driver isn't something I would
           | recommend anyone do. ESU ended over a year ago, so you're
           | stuck on an abandoned OS even if you're willing to pay for
           | updates.
           | 
           | Apple has been keeping the user experience a priority in all
           | their latest updates, and Linux desktops are more usable than
           | they've ever been. There's absolutely no reason to use
           | Windows 7 for anything important if Windows 11 is a
           | dealbreaker.
           | 
           | Microsoft isn't about to reverse course and make Windows good
           | again, so if you've already decided not to use Windows 11,
           | start the process of acclimating to a new OS now, rather than
           | stagnating on a dead OS that is only going to get less safe
           | to use moving forward.
           | 
           | If budget is a concern, I promise you your Windows 7 PC will
           | run Linux. If you are experiencing the sunken cost of all the
           | Windows-exclusive software that you have already purchased,
           | then pony up for a Windows 11 PC, because you're not going to
           | survive on a EOL Windows OS for very long.
        
         | RevEng wrote:
         | You assume that's a reasonable option for most people. Plenty
         | of people have software, hardware, or other requirements to use
         | Windows. It sucks, but it's quite common.
         | 
         | The enemy of good is perfect. Maybe we can't stop them spying
         | or trying to force their way back in on every update, but we
         | can fight back. If it's as simple as changing a few registry
         | keys to disable ads, why wouldn't you just do it? "Stop using
         | Windows or live with it" are not the only two options.
        
           | RIMR wrote:
           | I really can't think of any common Windows-only software. At
           | least nothing that wouldn't run on Mac OS.
           | 
           | Personally, I think that if the computer you use has software
           | on it that is actively spying on everything you do, you
           | should remove that software from your computer. If that
           | software happens to be the OS, I think the best way to "fight
           | back" is to not pay the company spying on you money for the
           | next version, and find an alternative that respects your
           | privacy.
        
         | tbyehl wrote:
         | I'm old enough to remember when Microsoft not forcing updates
         | upon their users was considered an existential threat to
         | humanity.
        
       | bitwize wrote:
       | Coming soon to Windows 11 update 24H2:
       | 
       | "OFGB.exe has been blocked due to security and performance
       | concerns..."
        
         | jerf wrote:
         | I'd give this at least even odds.
         | 
         | Based on some ancient personal experience you can also bet that
         | the EULA will be rewritten to forbid people to use Windows 11
         | to develop this sort of workaround. Which is to say, if this is
         | not a violation of the license today, it will be soon enough.
        
       | everyone wrote:
       | Windows 10 LTSC is the actual good version of Windows. Honestly
       | it's one of my favourite OSes. Since MS don't sell it to regular
       | people, it behooves one to pirate it.
        
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       (page generated 2024-05-02 23:00 UTC)