"Nearly 70% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles were found to contain hardcoded DNS settings - allowing them to simply ignore your local network's DNS server entirely. "
To be fair, Pi-Hole hardcodes "default" (suggested) DNS settings, too. While the user can change defaults, it is well-known that in most cases, the majority of users do not change them.
IMO, the best DNS-based solution for controlling the HTTP requests that applications can successfully make, e.g., to ad servers/trackers, is not to point them (directly or indirectly) at third party DNS caches.
Sending the user's DNS queries to an online ad services company (Google) is a interesting default for a project whose raison d'etre is the existence online ads. Perhaps if the online ads industry began to fade, so too would the need for Pi-Hole.
After decades of running own root and other authoritative servers on localhost, I would still do it even if online ads were not a problem. I like the speed, reliability and control.
To be fair, Pi-Hole hardcodes "default" (suggested) DNS settings, too. While the user can change defaults, it is well-known that in most cases, the majority of users do not change them.
IMO, the best DNS-based solution for controlling the HTTP requests that applications can successfully make, e.g., to ad servers/trackers, is not to point them (directly or indirectly) at third party DNS caches.Sending the user's DNS queries to an online ad services company (Google) is a interesting default for a project whose raison d'etre is the existence online ads. Perhaps if the online ads industry began to fade, so too would the need for Pi-Hole.
After decades of running own root and other authoritative servers on localhost, I would still do it even if online ads were not a problem. I like the speed, reliability and control.