https://shift.newco.co/the-cost-of-free-720d2ea9119e

The ad-based business model that supports much of the internet has been referred to as “the internet’s original sin” by Ethan Zuckerman, the creator of the popup ad. The popup ad specifically allowed websites to have a separation between their own content and that of their advertisers.

While the ad-based business model allowed for incredible proliferation of websites and services, it has always come with costs. The good was that sites didn’t have to convince customers to pay out of pocket to explore the internet widely. The bad is that people end up paying with attention and data, which are harder to recoup, quantify, and manage.