I use ad-block, and this was only a recent development for me. At first, I didn't really mind ads since I mostly ignored them. I'm pretty sure there is a study

I use ad-block, and this was only a recent development for me. At first, I didn't really mind ads since I mostly ignored them. I'm pretty sure there is a study somewhere about the long-term impact of web-based ads compared to billboards and TV ads, and I'm pretty sure that study would say that the long-term impact of web-ads would be much lower than TV ads, and basically forgotten in 5 minutes, and if not so soon, probably vaporized within a week. The problem became too much when advertisers and webmasters decided to use other means to gain my attention. An ad in the corner of the page is no big deal. When the page starts to look like a Nascar event with no meaningful content, this is irritating. Since this apparently wasn't in-your-face enough, they added in pop-ups, scrolling ads, and most confoundedly, ads that talked. I listen to music when I am browsing, and I can't describe how disrespectful this is to me. I sometimes browse with my computer muted, but some of these ads have figured out how to turn my volume on! This is no longer an symbiotic relationship between buyer and seller, but a one-sided fuck you. This is in plain terms, abuse, and it is wrong and these assholes don't deserve a dime from my clicks or my views. But the problem gets worse because showing me ads is no longer good enough. Now I have a few thousand companies tracking my every move. I dealt with slow-loading sites via iframes and gigs of cookies on my computer. So now, I turn on Disconnect or Ghostery. I used to earn money from ad revenue on my sites, and I am going to put ads up on my current sites. It would be foolish for me to depend solely on ad revenue, and I certainly don't hold any ill-will toward people using ad-block, so I would have to think of other ways to monetize my content. Book review? Here's a link to Amazon with my affiliate code. It isn't as invasive and it offers my users choice without invading their privacy, their ability to see my content, and doesn't effect my site-speeds. It is all a tough balance. Sure you want some analytics and you want some revenue, but depending solely on invasive ads and trackers doesn't serve your users. Once you lose sight of the users, you lose sight on usability, content quality, and many other aspects. I want to create a great product first and a revenue machine second.