If I pay and still see ad's I cancel and move on. Sooner people wake up the better, problem being most are comatose to such matters and meekly accept whatever is dished out to them...
Q-6
Yeah, I almost rage-quit the NYT right then and there when I first saw ads in the app. Part of the issue is that I'm paying for my in-laws to have it delivered to their house, which is even more upsetting because I'm paying these guys $500/year instead of the $50 I'd be paying for digital only. I absolutely agree with you in principle, but I think my situation illustrates that today's model is unsustainable. I don't think NYT is showing me ads to further line their pockets - I think they're in crisis mode.
Again, I don't know what the answer is. I'd pay more for an ad-free digital tier, but I'm not sure how
much more, and I don't think today's market can sustain what it takes to employ actual journalists on purely an ad-free basis, and of course the ad-supported side just continues its slide into more obnoxiousness. It'd be interesting to know the financials behind MR - people talk about how obnoxious the ads and tracking are here (I pay the $25 to avoid it), and this is a very active site. I'd be surprised if arn is making much money at all once everyone is getting paid. If that's true it just goes to show that it's impossible to 'do it right' and still make any money, which is a shame.