I've really enjoyed this series of posts and the comments that follow. But there's something I don't understand: How does all of this work when I don't see adv

I've really enjoyed this series of posts and the comments that follow. But there's something I don't understand: How does all of this work when I don't see advertisements? I haven't seen an overt ad (in the standard 'clickthrough' sense) on my browser in a LONG time. I didn't even know, until I went and tested, that YouTube had ads! And this service is ITSELF a -free- service. I don't have to pay for my AdBlockPlus subscription (they should monetize that!), and only rarely do I either have to add an add to block OR disable blocking because it breaks a feature. So a world in which the user doesn't even see the ads being presented...how does that influence the system? It seems like there are a few options: 1) Sue people who block ads. This idea seems silly at first, but it's not entirely unfounded. The concept is explored in Sagan's _Cosmos_. And Kelo v. New London could conceivably provide justification, though probably not. How would an EULA that REQUIRED viewing the ads play out? 2) Require strong enforcement There are any number of ways to require viewing an advertisement -- almost all of them at the risk of inconveniencing your 'honest' users. Is this the price to pay if you want it free? How does that compare to television advertising? With dozens of channels when I was younger, I rarely saw ads. Now it's harder, as most stations seem to take breaks at nearly the exact time, so you have to watch -someone-. And some shows are so good people daren't change the channel. How can this be ported to the internet? Should it? 3) Consider it the 'cost of doing business'. Some people will block ads just like some people will change the channel. Do advertisers care? 4) Integrate ads with content. TV shows started integrating product placement in order to make more money from advertisers. Can bloggers be bought? How much is a "content-full" endorsement worth? Radio personalities already do this: the most expensive ads are the ones integrated into "host banter". Would a blogger be torn to shreds if readers discovered he or she was being paid to place content as a POST rather than as a clearly demarcated ad? 5) Adusers Using 'trusted users' to push a product has already been done. Sell your posting history for profit! Do these 'guerilla tactics' work? Probably. But it's hard to see how a service provider can utilize this power: it's the users that get the 'insider status' that makes their endorsement worthwhile. It seems to me that failing to address how the Freeconomic process can be subverted is problematic to the overall argument.