I don't have a great deal of insight on how websites and advertising coexist, but I appreciate that advertising is a big reason we have the Internet we have today. In the same way that commercial Television (at least in the US) expanded and took the shape it is today because of commercials (up till relatively recently a neccessary and unavoidable evil--I truly love my DVR).

The problem as I see it (and I may be totally off base here) isn't so much the specific advertising as it is the implication that we endorse a product because that advertising appears here.

I don't know a way around that other than getting rid of it (which appears to be an option under consideration), but on the other hand I don't think we want to get into censoring and suppressing either ala all that SOPA and PIPA mess that was proposed.

Anyway, I don't have much of a point to make; lack of coffee tends to make me wax philisophical. I will add that I REALLY appreciate the work our staff does (even Van and Brian), especially their attitude, which is one of the big reasons that keeps me coming back.