I agree with your point about ad's being "shoved in someone's face" and that it is a problem when services are beholden to specific advertisers. But I do think

I agree with your point about ad's being "shoved in someone's face" and that it is a problem when services are beholden to specific advertisers. But I do think ad's can be done tastefully and in a way that benefits all involved. Imagine if HN had a link at the top for advertisements, and they had a policy that anyone with > x amount of karma could pay $y to have a listing for z days. It would be reminiscent of the ad's in the back of old computer magazines, with people selling home made software, tools, and services. Another example, would be if a music venue paid local record shops to have a prominent display of upcoming shows in their store, and on their website. How could that be anything but useful? Honestly, I'm not selling anything, and I avoid ad's as much as possible. I even signed up for the ad free Hulu just to put my money where my mouth was, after ranting to friends about how I would never pay for something that came with commercials. I just think that a wholesale attack against the idea of advertising is shortsighted.