Amen to that brother. The level of obnoxiousness of this site is hard to match, even in today's dysfunctional web environment.
I'll never open a technologyreview.com page again, they should go fuck themselves and die in flames.
I also flagged this post, this sort of crap shouldn't make HN front.
As a web user, I choose a browser that has no Javascript engine. Nor does it auto-load resources. Yet I read the full article and saw no popups. The website operator has provided detailed "alt" descriptions for each image.1 The 1.2 MiB statically-compiled browser I'm using does not come from a so-called "tech" company or any of their business partners (Mozilla == Google business partner). As such, no need for uBO.
If one takes a position that no web user should change their choices, then IMHO this detracts from any pleas to website operators to change their choices.
Further, if one argues against web users changing their choices, e.g., a commenter suggests that all web users should always auto-load all resources in a web page and run all Javascript, then this only provides more incentive for website operators to include lots of commercially-oriented garbage in their pages.
Truthfully, there is no need to use AI to avoid popups. There are simpler solutions.
1. If for some reason I want to look at the cartoons I can download each image with a single keystroke and view them without using any Javascript.
To read the "alt" descriptions, text-only, no Javascript, no popups, without a browser:
tnftp -o'|grep -o "alt=\".*"\" class"|sed "s/alt=./@/;s/.\{13\}$//;s/"/\"/g"|tr @ \\n|fmt' \
https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/02/28/1088262/luddites-resisting-automated-future-technology/amp/
Something like 5 popups, including hijacking the back button.
Edit: I know ubo exists. This is more a point about this site throwing rocks in glass houses. AI may be one source of our dystopian future, but it is not the only one. This is pollution of the commons that is the open web just as much as (AI) SEO spam is. Have some self awareness for god's sake.