I use ad blockers and open source privacy focused software whenever I can but occasionally I have to use computers that don't belong to me or an older phone where my usual applications aren't installed and seeing all the advertisements just feels dirty and dystopian.

I think the worst ads are the text to speech ones that say "Download this app today". The unblinking energenic people saying you can make a living at home are probably a close second.

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[–] ttmrichter@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago

I'd happily pay for a service if I could have a guarantee, with legal teeth (like a service level agreement with truly massive penalties for breach), that the service won't ever do any of the following:

Put an ad in front of my face.
Sell my personal information.

I used to pay for some services to get the "ad-free" version, but almost invariably this chain got subsequently followed: ad-free → opt-in "curated" ads → opt-out "curated" ads → "curated" ads → dropping all pretense of there being any advantage to paying as the site becomes ad-o-rama.

So I won't pay for sites. I just block their ads.