About 8 months ago I got pretty tired of seeing billionaire spam online. I could not bear to read about yet another rich guy who launched themselves (or their $200,000 car) into outer space 🚀 . I did not care about their expert opinion on the latest meme coin back then. I do not care about their expert opinion on the dangers of AI today.

So… I developed a tiny, free, and open source Firefox browser add-on called “Block the Rich”. It is completely local and private. No data is tracked. No data is phoned home.

The concept is pretty simple: whenever I load a web page, the extension quickly analyzes the content and intelligently blurs out any references to the Forbes Top 10 Billionaires. Some former and wannabe billionaires are blurred out of courtesy as well (I’m looking at you Trump and Kanye 🙄).

This project is a very early prototype that I built in the span of a few days. I have so many awesome ideas for enhancements but the truth is that the wind got completely knocked out of my sails when I put myself out there on Reddit many moons ago. There was absolutely zero public interest. To this day my wife and I are the only ones using the original prototype.

People of Lemmy, do you think there is a place on the internet for such a project, or is it time that I let it go?

Edit: I am blown away by the support from you all. Thank you! I am so excited to start polishing this baby up!

  • Zetaphor@zemmy.ccEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I’m old enough to know that the only way things are going to change is when we start shedding blood. That’s just the reality of how fundamental societal changes happen. Things are either going to get better or worse, it’s just a matter of whose blood is running, theirs or ours. The fact is I’m old and tired and have lost my will to fight.

    No amount of getting angry on the internet is going to change capitalism. No amount of voting is going to change capitalism. Changing the system while participating in the system is a fools errand and exactly what they want you to spend your time doing so you become old and tired like me. If you want to get rid of the rich and the hellscape they’ve created, you eat them. Asking me to get angry and not enjoy what little life I have left in me isn’t going to make a damn bit of difference.

    “Scratch any cynic and you will find a disappointed idealist.” ― George Carlin

    • psud@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Call to arms

      …

      Excuses as to why I myself am not taking up arms

      • Zetaphor@zemmy.ccEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        It was not a call to arms, it was an explanation of why I think the demand to get riled up on an internet forum is futile 🤷‍♂️

        • psud@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          I feel my comment was on your first paragraph, about talk getting is nowhere and how blood must be spilled

          • Zetaphor@zemmy.ccEnglish
            1·
            1 year ago

            Yes, you were describing it as a call to arms, I’m saying it’s an inevitability and nothing in this forum will result in systemic change. I’m not going to keep discussing the issue further because I’ve already had one comment removed by a mod. If you think you can change things then go forth, I’m just trying to live my life without being told it’s good for me to pay attention to rich assholes.