[freejazz]

It's probably people who waste others' time with baseless complaints like this that completely ignore substance that have ruined the internet, and not the fact that authors of interesting substantive content that actually gets consumed, whom also ask for some form of support that have ruined the internet.

[photonthug]

It's not a baseless complaint to observe that the internet was better when you could simply click on a website and read it, as opposed to dismissing several popups about tracking cookies or like-and-subscribe.

[freejazz]

I think it is, especially as a response to the idea that the internet is starting to lack substance

[photonthug]

Lacking substance is one symptom, harassing users in various ways is another symptom. The common cause is prioritizing traffic/audience/influence over content. It's not like it's impossible to provide substance without popups. It's fine to have a newsletter, but the respectful thing is to let me choose and don't push it at me. This is obvious.. I'm not sure why you're so eager to defend the sad new normal as if this was unavoidable