Shutting down the letsblock.it project and its official instance

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

An open-source project that let users share custom uBlock Origin filter templates is being shut down after two years, with its creator choosing to redirect effort from “making the commercial web more bearable” toward strengthening the non‑commercial web instead. Commenters debate whether the project’s modest scale—around 800 active users—represents a failure or a meaningful niche success, and whether tools like this merely enable continued reliance on hostile, ad‑driven platforms. The conversation widens into broader concerns about the “enshittification” of the modern web, the arms race between sites and blockers, and whether energy is better spent fixing existing platforms or building alternative, user‑respecting communities.

Reasons for shutdown & interpretation

  • Many see the maintainer’s stated reason as a shift in priorities: from making the commercial web more tolerable to building up the non‑commercial web.
  • Some interpret this as boredom / natural loss of interest; others as frustration, disillusionment, or realizing the project was “enabling” engagement with hostile platforms.
  • A few argue that stopping such “enabling” may push people to abandon bad platforms rather than patching them.

Impact, success, and “product/market fit”

  • The official instance had ~800 active users over two years.
  • Some commenters consider that a clear “success” for a hobby project.
  • Others call it a failure to find product/market fit, arguing the author should treat it as such to learn and pursue more focused, higher‑impact goals.
  • This sparks meta‑debate: whether small, niche impact is valid in itself, and whether external “strategic” standards should define success.

Technical difficulty & maintenance burden

  • uBlock Origin filter syntax is powerful but brittle. Complex selectors (e.g., to hide YouTube Shorts) break frequently due to frontend changes and anti‑adblock tactics.
  • Maintaining templates for many sites is tedious; content and UI patterns change constantly, making the work feel like “pissing in the wind.”
  • Some suggest AI might help keep filters updated; others doubt this will work long‑term against large platforms.

User experiences & alternatives

  • Several users relied on letsblock.it for YouTube (especially Shorts), Amazon clutter, search‑result spam, and family browser configuration.
  • Multiple alternatives are mentioned: manual uBlock rules, other YouTube‑cleaning extensions, privacy‑oriented apps, JS blockers, and scripts.
  • Many describe frustration with algorithmic feeds, Shorts/Reels, lack of control over interfaces, and attention overload.

Commercial vs non‑commercial web

  • One camp views the modern commercial web as heavily “enshittified,” arguing effort is better spent on small, respectful, non‑commercial communities.
  • Another claims the commercial web is “not so bad” overall and vastly more capable than the 1990s/2000s web, calling HN’s negativity an echo chamber.
  • Some hope the growing backlash leads to creative destruction and better alternatives within a few years.