I use an ad blocking hosts file along with adblock and almost never see an ad. If an ad manages to sneak through I just add the domain to the hosts file and redirect it to 0.0.0.0 and that stops any ads from that domain. For the sites that insert ads in popup windows, right click the window and select "block element" in adblock to get rid of it.

Or if you are more of a tech nerd, set up another pc and run it as a proxy server. The ads will go the the proxy server and are stopped right there. Any of your devices that use that proxy to connect to the web will not see the ads then.

I wouldn't say that you are cheap. More like smart.  
I started messing with alternative operating systems back in the Windows 3.1 days because I was tired of the crashes. OS/2 had promise but was killed because of Win95. I dabbled with various Linux flavors then but Linux hadn't developed enough at that time. By around 2000 it was ready for primetime and I went Linux only on all of my pc's then.

I stick with Firefox because after a bunch of years, I'm just used to it and comfortable with it. It's about the only popular open source browser left. I try to stay away from all the Google/Chrome/Chromium stuff I can, because I just don't like the company. I use Firefox on both linux and Windows computers.

RE: Linux Mint. I like it a lot. Use it myself and on family computers that I "get" to support. I think it's Cinnamon desktop has the best easy, graphical integration of app/os upgrading, setup and management. It is not the coolest looking interface, but it works very well. I also like Pop OS and MX Linux.

 At a minimum I think, given the cost of developing browsers that are consistently reliable, they could offer an internet ad-blocker for a price.

 Yes that's right, a subscription fee.  If I choose to use a companies product and they sell ads to make money, I should pay them to offer me an ad-free experience.  Instead of trying to circumvent how they provide their service to me.

 This is why it's good to share alternative browser options.  So we aren't fighting legitimate business models telling them how they should run their companies, and instead use the Capitalist method of choosing a competitor.

Fast: I'm really not a geek or a nerd. A PC to me is the same as a hammer, the right tool for the job, plus I really am cheap, and not a team player.
At work, everyone was using Lotus 123, I was using Quattro Pro, even for word processing (remember that?) !
Anyway, I had linuxes from Ottawa, South Carolina and Ireland(mint). Finally settled on Mint Mate because it did what I needed. It's still just a hammer !
Cheers!  
ps: +1 for firefox ! (so far) !
pps: when PCs became trendy at work, I did everything on a spreadsheet, not knowing any better. Much later, I discovered databases, and could have saved myself a ton of work and some embarassment. Born in the wrong decade!

 
When do you have the google disease with your browser?

Light up your current browser and go to a You Tube function or site.   If you got the malady, Google instantly locks your YouTube up and asks you to upgrade to YoutTube Plus.

Yes, I know it sounds like a scheme of some sort playing out ..... but it is for real.





Eegore. so why do I care about this situation?  

Well, who runs your computer, you or Google?   I thought I did.

When do you have the google disease with your browser?

Light up your current browser and go to a You Tube function or site.   If you got the malady, Google instantly locks your YouTube up and asks you to upgrade to YoutTube Plus.

Yes, I know it sounds like a scheme of some sort playing out ..... but it is for real.


 Sounds like you are  experiencing the "Ad Blockers are not allowed on YouTube" notice that's been around for a while.

 To be clear, you are unable to watch YouTube because you are using ad-blockers?  Or are you using no ad-blockers and still being restricted from YouTube because of a different reason?


 I have never experienced the inability to use YouTube even when not signed in, which is pretty much all the time.  To test this I logged in 6 laptops that have never had a single user ever logged in, uninstalled then updated Google Chrome, then used YouTube, and 7 websites with various YouTube links.

 All of them worked.

 I then installed random adblockers on each.  I can still watch YouTube without being signed in while using Ublock Origin, Youtube enhanced, and Ghosty.  While Adblock/Plus and AdGuard did not work.


 If your situation is one where third party ad-blockers are prohibiting you from using Google's Chrome browser to view Google's YouTube services, this seems normal to me.  For that matter being blocked while using any known browser plus ad-blockers, when using Google's YouTube services, seems normal as well.

 The entire revenue model is based off of ads.  That's how many humans make money on Google's YouTube service.  This sounds to me like someone finding it inappropriate that they can't watch free broadcast NBC because they noticed that you have found a way to remove commercials and only receive programming to your TV set.  This is essentially removing their primary revenue model for that service, why would they be ok with that?

 Because you should be able to do whatever you want with your TV?