[gentoo-user] Pocket sneaks back

[gentoo-user] Pocket sneaks back

[Ian Zimmerman]

After the latest stable firefox upgrade to version 68.6 I again started
seeing DNS queries for Pocket related domains.  I found this in
prefs.js:

user_pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includePocket", true);

I am not sure if this setting was new with this version or if firefox
just started acting on it now, but in any case I am adding it to my
user.js with a value of false, right now.

-- 
Ian

Re: [gentoo-user] Pocket sneaks back

[Dale]

Ian Zimmerman wrote:
> After the latest stable firefox upgrade to version 68.6 I again started
> seeing DNS queries for Pocket related domains.  I found this in
> prefs.js:
>
> user_pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includePocket", true);
>
> I am not sure if this setting was new with this version or if firefox
> just started acting on it now, but in any case I am adding it to my
> user.js with a value of false, right now.
>

I admit I don't know what these are for but I went to look at mine.  I
also found this which is a little different than the one you posted but
still pocket related.

services.sync.prefs.sync.browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includePocket

I run unstable here but mine is set to true for that one as well. 

Dale

:-)  :-) 

Re: [gentoo-user] Pocket sneaks back

[Michael]

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On Monday, 16 March 2020 21:08:10 GMT Dale wrote:
> Ian Zimmerman wrote:
> > After the latest stable firefox upgrade to version 68.6 I again started
> > seeing DNS queries for Pocket related domains.  I found this in
> > prefs.js:
> > 
> > user_pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includePo
> > cket", true);
> > 
> > I am not sure if this setting was new with this version or if firefox
> > just started acting on it now, but in any case I am adding it to my
> > user.js with a value of false, right now.
> 
> I admit I don't know what these are for but I went to look at mine.  I
> also found this which is a little different than the one you posted but
> still pocket related.
> 
> services.sync.prefs.sync.browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highligh
> ts.includePocket
> 
> I run unstable here but mine is set to true for that one as well. 
> 
> Dale
> 
> :-)  :-) 

I didn't even know what pocket is, let alone that it is enabled as a default.

I'm on FF 68.6.0esr, but I do not have a pocket button showing in the address 
bar.  I may have disable it sometime in the past, thinking that got rid of it 
- little I knew.

Going to about:config and searching for pocket reveals a number of related 
settings, with 'extensions.pocket.enabled' being one you should pay attention 
to.

https://help.getpocket.com/article/1025-disabling-save-to-pocket-features-in-firefox

It is worth mentioning, Palemoon does not have pocket in it.  ;-)

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Re: [gentoo-user] Pocket sneaks back

[Dale]

Michael wrote:
> On Monday, 16 March 2020 21:08:10 GMT Dale wrote:
>> Ian Zimmerman wrote:
>>> After the latest stable firefox upgrade to version 68.6 I again started
>>> seeing DNS queries for Pocket related domains.  I found this in
>>> prefs.js:
>>>
>>> user_pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includePo
>>> cket", true);
>>>
>>> I am not sure if this setting was new with this version or if firefox
>>> just started acting on it now, but in any case I am adding it to my
>>> user.js with a value of false, right now.
>> I admit I don't know what these are for but I went to look at mine.  I
>> also found this which is a little different than the one you posted but
>> still pocket related.
>>
>> services.sync.prefs.sync.browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highligh
>> ts.includePocket
>>
>> I run unstable here but mine is set to true for that one as well. 
>>
>> Dale
>>
>> :-)  :-) 
> I didn't even know what pocket is, let alone that it is enabled as a default.
>
> I'm on FF 68.6.0esr, but I do not have a pocket button showing in the address 
> bar.  I may have disable it sometime in the past, thinking that got rid of it 
> - little I knew.
>
> Going to about:config and searching for pocket reveals a number of related 
> settings, with 'extensions.pocket.enabled' being one you should pay attention 
> to.
>
> https://help.getpocket.com/article/1025-disabling-save-to-pocket-features-in-firefox
>
> It is worth mentioning, Palemoon does not have pocket in it.  ;-)


I don't want to set them to false because I still don't know what they
do, google didn't help any either.  I don't want to break websites or
something and then be trying to figure out why a site works for everyone
but me, and maybe you if you happen to visit the same site.  ;-)

Can someone share a link that tells what a pocket is exactly?  If I
don't need it, I'd like to disable it.  It may help with the extension
thingy that takes up tons of memory and sends one core of my CPU to
100%.  So far, restarting Firefox is the only solution.  It sometimes
hit several GBs in no time flat.  It runs fine for days and then BAM. 
Overload.  :/

Thanks.

Dale

:-)  :-) 

Re: [gentoo-user] Pocket sneaks back

[Dale]

Dale wrote:
> Michael wrote:
>> On Monday, 16 March 2020 21:08:10 GMT Dale wrote:
>>> Ian Zimmerman wrote:
>>>> After the latest stable firefox upgrade to version 68.6 I again started
>>>> seeing DNS queries for Pocket related domains.  I found this in
>>>> prefs.js:
>>>>
>>>> user_pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includePo
>>>> cket", true);
>>>>
>>>> I am not sure if this setting was new with this version or if firefox
>>>> just started acting on it now, but in any case I am adding it to my
>>>> user.js with a value of false, right now.
>>> I admit I don't know what these are for but I went to look at mine.  I
>>> also found this which is a little different than the one you posted but
>>> still pocket related.
>>>
>>> services.sync.prefs.sync.browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highligh
>>> ts.includePocket
>>>
>>> I run unstable here but mine is set to true for that one as well. 
>>>
>>> Dale
>>>
>>> :-)  :-) 
>> I didn't even know what pocket is, let alone that it is enabled as a default.
>>
>> I'm on FF 68.6.0esr, but I do not have a pocket button showing in the address 
>> bar.  I may have disable it sometime in the past, thinking that got rid of it 
>> - little I knew.
>>
>> Going to about:config and searching for pocket reveals a number of related 
>> settings, with 'extensions.pocket.enabled' being one you should pay attention 
>> to.
>>
>> https://help.getpocket.com/article/1025-disabling-save-to-pocket-features-in-firefox
>>
>> It is worth mentioning, Palemoon does not have pocket in it.  ;-)
>
> I don't want to set them to false because I still don't know what they
> do, google didn't help any either.  I don't want to break websites or
> something and then be trying to figure out why a site works for everyone
> but me, and maybe you if you happen to visit the same site.  ;-)
>
> Can someone share a link that tells what a pocket is exactly?  If I
> don't need it, I'd like to disable it.  It may help with the extension
> thingy that takes up tons of memory and sends one core of my CPU to
> 100%.  So far, restarting Firefox is the only solution.  It sometimes
> hit several GBs in no time flat.  It runs fine for days and then BAM. 
> Overload.  :/
>
> Thanks.
>
> Dale
>
> :-)  :-) 
>


After some looking, I found a link in about:config.  It lead me to this.

https://getpocket.com/about

That tells a little about what pocket is.  Pardon me while I go disable
stuff.  Anything that can do, I can do locally by saving a web page or
downloading the content. 

Dale

:-)  :-)

Re: [gentoo-user] Pocket sneaks back

[Matt Connell]

On 2020-03-16 19:46, Dale wrote:
> Anything that can do, I can do locally by saving a web page or
> downloading the content. 

Pocket is easily replaced by just synchronizing bookmarks, for most
people's purposes, and FF already supports that.

If you need more than that, I can recommend Wallabag for link-saving.  I
use it as my "read later" list.

Re: [gentoo-user] Pocket sneaks back

[Dale]

Matt Connell wrote:
> On 2020-03-16 19:46, Dale wrote:
>> Anything that can do, I can do locally by saving a web page or
>> downloading the content. 
> Pocket is easily replaced by just synchronizing bookmarks, for most
> people's purposes, and FF already supports that.
>
> If you need more than that, I can recommend Wallabag for link-saving.  I
> use it as my "read later" list.
>
>


Since I backup my /home directory, I have that already.  Based on what
the link claims, it allows you to watch videos, read articles and such
later even if offline.  If I like a page, I save it or print it as a pdf
or copy and paste it into LOo.  It might be a long way around but it
makes it available even if the website removes content or shuts down
completely, forever. 

Still, I likely don't understand all it does but I disabled it since I
don't think it serves a purpose here for me anyway.  Maybe others will.

I wonder what else Firefox does I don't know about????

Dale

:-)  :-) 

Re: [gentoo-user] Pocket sneaks back

[Michael]

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On Tuesday, 17 March 2020 04:42:12 GMT Dale wrote:
> Matt Connell wrote:
> > On 2020-03-16 19:46, Dale wrote:
> >> Anything that can do, I can do locally by saving a web page or
> >> downloading the content. 

Firefox has this functionality for people who have multiple devices and are 
not able or want to save content locally and want to discover similar 
articles/pages without carrying out their own web search manually and be able 
to access them from other devices too, potentially when offline.


> > Pocket is easily replaced by just synchronizing bookmarks, for most
> > people's purposes, and FF already supports that.

Pocket, at least in its premium paid for service, is more than a bookmark 
syncronization service between devices alone.  It is utilizing a 3rd party's 
cloud servers to store content and send this content to your devices, using a 
Firefox account.  In addition, webpages uploaded to Pocket's servers are 
cleaned from adverts and extraneous content, can be tagged for easier 
referencing/search, have their text size adjusted for easier reading, etc.  I 
don't know to what extent content is drawn dynamically from the original 
website and modified on the fly when a user logs in and requests it, or if it 
is stored on Pocket's servers and remains available even after the original 
website ceases to exist.

Arguably Dale already does all most of this for himself, personally, locally 
and privately, without sharing *his* data with anyone else - unless he 
explicitly wishes to do so.  Other users don't/can't and Pocket caters to 
their needs.

Mozilla uses some anonymizing/obfuscating mechanism for storing your Firefox 
account and associated data on the cloud and Mozilla claim they don't share 
personally identifiable information with anyone else.


> > If you need more than that, I can recommend Wallabag for link-saving.  I
> > use it as my "read later" list.
> 
> Since I backup my /home directory, I have that already.  Based on what
> the link claims, it allows you to watch videos, read articles and such
> later even if offline.  If I like a page, I save it or print it as a pdf
> or copy and paste it into LOo.  It might be a long way around but it
> makes it available even if the website removes content or shuts down
> completely, forever. 

Yep, your data, under your ownership and free (as in freedom) access.


> Still, I likely don't understand all it does but I disabled it since I
> don't think it serves a purpose here for me anyway.  Maybe others will.
> 
> I wonder what else Firefox does I don't know about????
> 
> Dale
> 
> :-)  :-) 

In a proliferation of 'cloud services', 'user accounts', 'mobile apps', multi-
device data access, etc. it is important to satisfy yourself a service 
provider's Business Model is not somehow orthogonal to your personal data 
security, privacy, rights and preferences.

With Mozilla the picture is mixed.  Mozilla Foundation is a not-for-profit 
organization established to lead the open source Mozilla project.  All this is 
good I hear you say, but then comes Mozilla Corp. a subsidiary of Mozilla 
Foundation.  The Mozilla Corp. outfit is for-profit, pays taxes and it 
reinvests all of its profits back into the Mozilla project.  This was needed 
to overcome financial considerations a not-for-profit organization cannot 
engage with.  Still good.  Here comes the rub.  Pocket contains closed source 
code and any statements about being converted into open source have yet to 
materialize.  Also, the business model of surveillance capitalism is endemic 
in all business affiliates of Mozilla Corp. and the way they make money - with 
your data.  So even if Mozilla Corp. is not using/abusing your private data, 
its affiliates are in business to do just that.

I suggest the saying "if its free, your are the product" applies here too.

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Re: [gentoo-user] Pocket sneaks back

[Frank Steinmetzger]

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On Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 01:50:33PM -0700, Ian Zimmerman wrote:
> After the latest stable firefox upgrade to version 68.6 I again started
> seeing DNS queries for Pocket related domains.  I found this in
> prefs.js:
> 
> user_pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includePocket", true);
> 
> I am not sure if this setting was new with this version or if firefox
> just started acting on it now, but in any case I am adding it to my
> user.js with a value of false, right now.

When you are on the home screen (about:home), there is a cogwhell on the top
right, leading you to the relevant section in Firefox’ settings. In there,
you get a checkmark to disable pocket on the home screen.

-- 
Gruß | Greetings | Qapla’
Please do not share anything from, with or about me on any social network.

As long as cocoa grows on trees, I consider chocolate to be fruit.

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[gentoo-user] Re: Pocket sneaks back

[Ian Zimmerman]

On 2020-04-01 22:07, Frank Steinmetzger wrote:

> When you are on the home screen (about:home), there is a cogwhell on
> the top right, leading you to the relevant section in Firefox’
> settings. In there, you get a checkmark to disable pocket on the home
> screen.

I had done _that_ long ago.  Of course.

-- 
Ian