uBlock Origin Lite fork that replaces cosmetically-filtered ads with white tiles bearing They Live slogans: OBEY, CONSUME, SUBMIT, etc.
Key Takeaways
Built as a submodule fork of uBOLite; new file they-live.js handles phrase list, CSS generation, and DOM tagging via MutationObserver.
Only cosmetic-filtered ads get replaced; network-blocked ads (most of uBOLite’s work) produce no DOM element and stay blank.
Requires switching uBO Lite filtering mode to Optimal or Complete per site, otherwise tiles never appear.
Install is unpacked extension only; load from uBOLite.chromium/ after running tools/make-mv3.sh chromium with Node 22.
GPL-3.0; personal hobby fork – do not file upstream uBlock Origin bug reports against it.
Hacker News Comment Review
Strong nostalgia thread: commenters credit They Live as a formative influence on skepticism toward authority and consumerism, with one noting it made The Matrix feel redundant.
Typography critique surfaced early: suggested heavier weight (League Spartan) and dark gray over pure black to better match the film’s aesthetic.
Tension around AI-assisted coding in a project thematically about dehumanization drew pointed comments, with a counter that natural language interfaces are more human than cryptic syntax.
Notable Comments
@deng: flags irony of using AI to build a project critiquing alienation and dehumanization.
@dang: “What if it wouldn’t get done otherwise?” – moderator weighs in on AI-assisted hobby projects.
