Why does blocking ads/tracking now break the site?

[Venumize]

Why does no JS break the site now? A few days ago, interestingly just as the server kept going offline for me, I need to allow JS with ads/trackers running for the site not to break.

I use Brave and it says it blocks 42 ads/trackers on the home page when fully used and it before this worked fine for me.

When I allow scripts it blocks 36 items and remains broken.

If I choose Allow Ads/Trackers with Scripts turned off it blocks 14 items but the site works perfectly as it did previously for me.

Btw when I say broken I mean no background, text down without any images that used to be there, no order for text, just overall broken.

Was there some update forcing trackers/ads on the site and if they are blocked it purposively breaks the site? Accident in some update?

I'm on mobile so haven't tried to find what code, or ad/tracker, is causing the issue. Or was there no update on QQ and Brave might have updated blacklists and QQ uses what is now listed as an ad/tracker service there?

 

[LurkingInTheDeceit]

Well, we don't have ads, and admins have stated we never will. Haven't heard about any updates to QQ, but-

@ultima333 @alethiophile

 

[alethiophile]

I am currently browsing through Brave (desktop) at max blocking levels with scripts blocked. The site is working for me fine, albeit without the JS frontend functionality. Theoretically, QQ shouldn't use or be dependent on any third-party resources at all.

What exactly is your setup, and what are you seeing?

 

[PiningfortheHebrides]

I've had a similar problem, on mobile alone with Brave. I tried a cookie wipe and resetting things to default, but no such luck. It's the ad blocker settings - standard doesn't work. Disabling it allows the site to load, otherwise you'll get either a "QQ can't be loaded, reload the page?" landing. If you log out by wiping the assorted bits and pieces, you'll get a white background and plain text, no images or themes. It'll let you log in briefly before logging you out again.

Disabling all of brave's inbuilt ad block on mobile makes it work as normal. Aggressive just prevents the site from loading.

 

[alethiophile]

Sadly, I don't have mobile Brave available to test right now, so can't follow up further on that.

Nothing on QQ should be interacting with an adblocker at all -- if you enable scripts, then it's just the standard XF frontend, and if you disable scripts that's all it will block. We don't use any ads or external trackers (except in the limited case of external media embeds like Youtube, they're probably tracking if you play videos). So turning off the blocker shouldn't be exposing you to anything.

My guess is it's a client issue, but if you do find a clear way of reproducing the problem let me know.