If your websites serve ads then by definition your content isn&#x27;t free. As long as you believe that ads actually work and influence people then you are imposing a cost on your users.<p>There are websites which are actually free to end users. They don&#x27;t serve ads, they might have a donation page, and largely exist because the operator simply wants to publish something. Most of the &#x27;old web&#x27; embodies these qualities.<p>The assumption that the only way for websites to make money is via ads or paywalls is completely pervasive and it&#x27;s simply not true. These two options are the most naive monetization strategies. My favorite counterexample is the Welcome to Nightvale Podcast. Their podcast is gratis and without ads. They make money through donations, selling swag, their book, and by performing live shows -- all which sell out extremely fast because I&#x27;ve been trying to get tickets recently.<p>The Internet is quite expensive because of ads.