[kmnc]

Bullshit. I pay to go to the movies, I am advertised to. Why do you think online services will maintain this “pay is for ad fee”?

[throwaway_pdp09]

So specifically, how should sites support themselves if such as you won't pay?

[mdifrgechd]

If they cant support themselves, they should find something people do want to pay for. The universe doesnt owe the website creators a revenue stream.

[throwaway_pdp09]

The people who are happy to read it do owe them a revenue stream if they want a website to continue.

To be perfectly clear I have no desire to see any ads, and I don't cos I block pretty much every last one (squid) but if there are sites that are worth reading, like from here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25157722 well, author's got to make money for the time they put in.

Advertisers can die in rotting heaps, but they exist because people make them exist. They exist because you want free stuff.

[freeone3000]

I read articles online before the advertisements came. I'll read them again after the advertisements are gone.

[throwaway_pdp09]

All I hear is "I want free stuff". I'm not saying you should bleed yourself dry for them, would a couple of pounds/dollars a month (when you have paid work) to put rent-seeking ad men out of a job and to support OSS software development be so bad; would you even notice it?

[freeone3000]

There is no indication that throwing money at companies decreases ads. We had newspapers, magazines, cable, and now Hulu and Amazon video and the NYT webpage. They'll gladly take my money and serve me ads.