Help me program a YouTube commercial avoidance mechanism
February 22, 2011 12:43 PM   Subscribe

I want to make a Firefox extension that helps multi-tabbing users circumvent annoying YouTube ads. Looking for advice.

YouTube constantly bombards me with annoying, repetitive 30 second commercials. I want to build an extension for tabbed browsing that does the following:

(a.) Immediately mutes the tab playing the commercial.
(b.) Displays an in-tab loading timer (see image for an example of what I'm thinking of: http://imgur.com/YWJXK). With a 30 second commercial, the background color would span halfway across the tab at 15 seconds, and 2/3rds of the way across the tab at 20 seconds.
(c.) Pauses the video at 1 second in once the actual video starts playing and restores volume.

Is this remotely possible? I have a little experience with JavaScript and would appreciate any advice on this specific project or on starting out making Firefox extensions more generally. Thanks!
posted by JamesJD to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)
 
You might start with an existing script like YousableTube Fix for ideas. I use that script along with AdBlock Plus and I never see any of those commercials.
posted by bcwinters at 12:58 PM on February 22, 2011


I use AdBlock Plus and have never seen a YouTube ad ever. I always browse with multiple tabs.
posted by turkeyphant at 1:03 PM on February 22, 2011


Response by poster: I will try those out, but I'd also like to try making it myself as an exercise. Thanks!
posted by JamesJD at 1:07 PM on February 22, 2011


Response by poster: * I will also try building on YousableTube Fix.
posted by JamesJD at 1:08 PM on February 22, 2011


YouTube has commercials?! This is news to me. I use AdBlock and I've no clue about any commercials.
posted by Senza Volto at 5:42 AM on February 23, 2011


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