# Is there any way to get my browser to ignore Facebook etc? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 30, 2017, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-get-my-browser-to-ignore-facebook-etc/778576 "2017-01-30T08:28:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-get-my-browser-to-ignore-facebook-etc/778576/1 "2017-01-30T08:28:26Z")
I’ve noticed that when I try to access a page, my browser (Firefox) hangs, because it is trying to access Facebook, Imagesnap, Snapchat, Snapimage, and whatever other stuff I pay no attention to and have no interest in. (Some of these sources are fictional, but I think you get the idea.) Is there a way that I can set my browser to ignore all this stuff so my pages load more quickly? ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-get-my-browser-to-ignore-facebook-etc/778576/2 "2017-01-30T08:45:43Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I’ve noticed that when I try to access a page, my browser (Firefox) hangs, because it is trying to access Facebook, Imagesnap, Snapchat, Snapimage, and whatever other stuff I pay no attention to and have no interest in. (Some of these sources are fictional, but I think you get the idea.) > > Is there a way that I can set my browser to ignore all this stuff so my pages load more quickly? Assuming that you only have one tab open to load a single site, those external links are content links to external sites, and the page probably won’t load or render correctly if that data is not available. You can use browser plugins like No-Script and Ad-block to block some of those things if you wish, which may help page load times, but you may need to spend some time customizing the configuration. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-get-my-browser-to-ignore-facebook-etc/778576/3 "2017-01-30T08:49:41Z")
A tool like _Fiddler_ should be able to do what you want. Not only can you block a request, you can substitute a different response to achieve a desired effect. I’ve downloaded _Fiddler 4_ and am using it successfully for some tasks, but don’t know exactly what command you should give it. Maybe an expert will be along and educate us both. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-get-my-browser-to-ignore-facebook-etc/778576/4 "2017-01-30T08:50:28Z")
I recommend [uBlock](https://www.ublock.org/)or [Ghostery](https://www.ghostery.com/our-solutions/ghostery-browser-extension/). ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-get-my-browser-to-ignore-facebook-etc/778576/5 "2017-01-30T08:56:28Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > A tool like _Fiddler_ should be able to do what you want. Not only can you block a request, you can substitute a different response to achieve a desired effect. > > I’ve downloaded _Fiddler 4_ and am using it successfully for some tasks, but don’t know exactly what command you should give it. Maybe an expert will be along and educate us both. I use Fiddler most days, and recommend it as a primary troubleshooting tool to customers, but I think it would be the wrong tool for this job. I suspect **crazyhorse** has made the right suggestions - they look like they are coordinated approaches to web request filtering. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-get-my-browser-to-ignore-facebook-etc/778576/6 "2017-01-30T15:07:57Z")
You can also block these sites by name via your HOSTS file or in your router. I have all of facebook blocked that way. Works good. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-get-my-browser-to-ignore-facebook-etc/778576/7 "2017-01-30T21:01:21Z")
Search for: blocking social sharing widgets. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-get-my-browser-to-ignore-facebook-etc/778576/8 "2017-01-30T21:04:53Z")
In uBlock Origin settings, under the 3rd Party Filters tab, add the lists under the “Social” heading. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-get-my-browser-to-ignore-facebook-etc/778576/9 "2017-01-31T01:17:48Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > You can also block these sites by name via your HOSTS file or in your router. I have all of facebook blocked that way. Works good. Ditto. I also block Twitter for the same avoidance of useless connections reason.