Everyone keeps saying that, but I don't buy it, and I think it's insulting to think we all know better than the imgur employees who have been dealing with this

Everyone keeps saying that, but I don't buy it, and I think it's insulting to think we all know better than the imgur employees who have been dealing with this problem for years, and have likely considered all the possible options. 1) They needed a solution that would still be somewhat meaningful with adblock. That means maintaining user engagement to stay with the site and eventually encounter branded content that is not officially an ad but is still a revenue stream 2) Whatever sequence they chose for how they load the page, it is certain that they considered alternatives and a/b tested them, and what they chose was the best balance of user bounce rates and revenue. It's not the most user-friendly version, but that can't be the only metric for a free site.