[feanaro]

The web as a knowledge disseminating medium will neither disappear nor suffer if or when the targeted ad industry wilts away. The physicists, mathematicians, programmers, computer scientists, biologists, chemists, ... of the world will still need and want to communicate and collaborate, not to mention the variety of hobbyists and people with odd but passionate interests. And they will do so freely, because this is the only way it makes sense. This is only beneficial for those who value knowledge and discussion since the interests are then actually aligned with those activities, instead of being only tangentially hitchhiked on top of something else.

What would fail is the likes of the fashion industry, such as Instagram influencers peddling Nike sneakers and cosmetics.