Ad filter list is hiding BP Follow's button

[shay1383]

Hi
First, your plugin is awesome.
The Problem: I have noticed that when AdBlock & Adblock PLUS are activated on my site the follow buttons disappear.
And when I deactivate the chrome extentions the follow button show up again.
This problem is not matter of theme bug, because I have checked it on my premium theme, but also on WP default themes, as Twenty Seventeen
Please help me and fix it
Regards,
Shay.

[renatonascalves]

I can't confirm that but it might be possible because of the usage of the word follow. Something to investigate.

[shay1383]

I Agree

[r-a-y]

Yes, it is due to the usage of the CSS class follow and an adblocking filter list hiding elements matching this class.

Unfortunately, this is a user decision by enabling probably a Social Media adblocking filter list that hides any element matching the CSS class, follow. Try looking at what filter lists you have enabled in Adblock Plus or uBlock Origin and narrow down which one is blocking it. For this reason, I don't think this is necessarily a problem with BP Follow per se.

If I changed this CSS class, other theme developers that might have styled this button will no longer work.

[shay1383]

Do you suggest contactnig AdBlock developers? If so, what should I tell them?

[renatonascalves]

I'd recommend adding a filter to whitelist it. If that's possible. If it's not, contact the dev and link to this issue.

[mrjarbenne]

Looks like you can add your own filters. https://adblockplus.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=42013

I would look at the Exception Rules: Example 1 section for details

https://adblockplus.org/en/filter-cheatsheet

[r-a-y]

Well, I've narrowed it down to Fanboy's Annoyance List.

It targets the follow-button class, which BP Follow uses. If the Fanboy Annoyance filter list meant to target another, specific button from Twitter, then a report should be made here:

! Please report any unblocked content or problems by email or in our forums
! Email: [email protected]
! Homepage: https://easylist.to/
! Forums: https://forums.lanik.us/

[shay1383]

Does anyone has a solution to how I can disable the follow removal to all my users?
Maybe for exmaple rename follow-button

[shay1383]

Hi @r-a-y
Can you please guide me on how to change 'follow' class in your plugin?
Thanks,
Shay

[rekmla]

Hello, we are running into this issue with Adblock Plus. Any plan to address this in the plugin?

[r-a-y]

I'll make a change to prefix the CSS class, but this will break whatever customizations theme authors might have made.

As I mention before, it's a user decision to use Fanboy's Annoyance List.

Their filter list is meant to block generic follow buttons:
https://github.com/easylist/easylist/blob/86f782a531ff77d035aae4316d31e42ee8be61c8/fanboy-addon/fanboy_social_general_hide.txt#L4664

Even after I make this change, there's nothing stopping them or another filter list from adding this new class to their list in the future. So something to take into consideration as I'll only be making this new change once.

I will say that if users are savvy enough to install this filter list in their adblocking plugin, they should be savvy enough to either whitelist the element in Adblock Plus and uBlock Origin or disable that filter list.

[rekmla]

@ray, I do like the idea of prefixing the class, but you make good points about this proposed change.

I don't want to cause more problems than are being solved.

[renatonascalves]

@r-a-y I'd recommend not changing this. You will create possible problems because of outside tool. The problem is not the plugin.