"Also, without subscribable lists like Adblock Plus has, it won't be anywhere
near as effective and accurate.
Finally, I'm not convinced that this is a full answer, mostly because I don't
really understand it."
Privoxy has a very long history. It was originally known as the JunkBuster
proxy. Instead of using lists which must be updated, it uses pattern matching
to block ads based on patterns, known click trackers and advertisers, etc. In
other words, all of these newfangled methods you wish to use, were done,
finished and complete in Privoxy, long before AdBlock Plus was created. This
is why there is no need to update block lists with Privoxy, the patterns used
to block ads have been developed and expanded for years at this point. This
is why I haven't seen ads on the internet for over a decade.
With Privoxy, Ghostery isn't necessary either, since Privoxy also blocks web
bugs & click trackers. If you are looking for adblocking, as well as
increased privacy, your best bet is to chain Privoxy to Tor. This will block
ads, while also hiding your IP address while on the internet. The speed of
surfing via Tor has increased dramatically since the EFF's campaign to expand
relays.
