Scarecrow: Ad Blocking Script for Twitter

by Stuart Robertson on November 3rd, 2008 | Social Media

Magpie is a recently introduced service that inserts advertising into a users list of posts on Twitter. Scarecrow is a greasemonkey script that will stop these ads being displayed on your view of Twitter allowing you to “opt out” of the service. Other users have suggested simply unfollowing users who use the Magpie service, but I think this script gives people another option they might prefer.

Installing the script

1. Download and install Greasemonkey for Firefox
2. Download and install Scarecrow to stop Magpie advertising from displaying at Twitter.com

Nov 21, 2008: Scarecrow 0.2 now available – updated after changes in code at Twitter.com

15 Comments

1. Stop Twitter Spam on November 4, 2008 at 4:31 pm

   This is great. Thanks for creating this!

2. Freedom of Tweets | Jessica Knows on November 21, 2008 at 12:01 am

   [...] here is a little tool that will let you keep following your fav, peeps and NEVER see a Magpie Ad. : http://www.designmeme.com/scarecrow/ Created by (NO not me) [...]

3. genieyclo on November 21, 2008 at 11:51 am

   Awesome!

4. Why Magpie’s Advertising System Is Self-Diminishing on November 22, 2008 at 7:20 am

   [...] http://www.designmeme.com/scarecrow/ [...]

5. Be a Magpie and Get Paid for Ads in Your Tweets | Microblink on November 24, 2008 at 3:38 am

   [...] seeing those ads in the timelines of those you follow, Stuart Robertson (@designmeme) has created a GreaseMonkey script to block Magpie, appropriately named Scarecrow, which will automatically filter those tweets from your timeline [...]

6. No Facebook/Twitter merger - yet | socialmediainfluence.com on November 24, 2008 at 8:34 am

   [...] the meantime, the aptly-named Scarecrow script will do away with the magpies for those using [...]

7. socialmediainfluence.com on November 24, 2008 at 2:13 pm

   banned. Much of the sentiment expressed suggests that Twitter users wouldn’t mind so much if the ads were a Twitter initiative; that it’s a third party attempt to find a revenue model for Twitter seems to rankle. In the meantime, the aptly-namedScarecrow scriptwill do away with the magpies for those using Firefox. Blogging for nothing and the clicks for free Another story ruffling a few feathers comes from Pete Cashmore at Mashable who sets the scene: “

8. Magpie, Methinks Your Song Sounds Sour! | Directory News on November 24, 2008 at 7:11 pm

   [...] warm and welcoming, but another launch has already hit the web to combat this intrusive nuisance. Scarecrow is the new service that prevents your Twitter network from being overtaken by advertisers looking [...]

9. SitePoint » Terrible Idea: Magpie Twitter Ad Network on November 26, 2008 at 12:10 am

   [...] Robertson has written a magpie-blocking script called (gotta love it) Scarecrow, which you can use if you use Firefox (and Greasemonkey). Tweetdeck has a “filter” [...]

10. Twitter / Ms. Vanda: Re: everyone talking about ... on November 26, 2008 at 4:12 pm

    [...] everyone talking about Magpie: http://www.designmeme.com/s…; 14 minutes ago from web paraphernalia Ms. Vanda // // var gaJsHost = [...]

11. Yks blog » Blog Archive » Why Magpie’s Advertising System Is Self-Diminishing on November 27, 2008 at 3:03 pm

    [...] Just like Tivo, Ad blocking software and email spam filters appeared as a response to ads, a Magpie Blocking script has appeared which auto filters all messages that contain those messages in [...]

12. Yks blog » Blog Archive » Why Magpie’s Advertising System Is Self-Diminishing on November 27, 2008 at 3:03 pm

    [...] Just like Tivo, Ad blocking software and email spam filters appeared as a response to ads, a Magpie Blocking script has appeared which auto filters all messages that contain those messages in [...]

13. Breyten's Dev Blog on December 1, 2008 at 11:03 am

    Twitter Search Bar | Design Meme (tags: twitter search bar greasemonkey userscript )Scarecrow: Ad Blocking Script for Twitter | Design Meme(tags: twitter magpie ad blocking greasemonkey userscript )

14. Magpies and Scarecrows - Ads in the Tweetstream on December 9, 2008 at 12:40 pm

    [...] in their tweets.  @designmeme posted a script that you can run that filters out magpie adverts : Scarecrow: Ad Blocking Script for Twitter. A lot of people have declared they will just unfollow anyone who posts magpie [...]

15. How to Become a Twitter Power User With 5 Greasemonkey Scripts | Microblink on December 17, 2008 at 10:30 am

    [...] (link) – stops Magpie posts from showing up on any Twitter page. Warning: this eliminates all posts with [...]

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