> If the user is the product (and we have been for quite some time), then yes--we should get it for free.
The way I figure, I donate real money to Wikipedia (which has no ads), but I don't donate real money to Firefox, because they are supported almost entirely by Google, and Google gets a TON of revenue from the ads that appear all over the freakin' place in my browsers.
If Firefox starts with the ads, I feel like I'm being "charged" twice. I guess I'd have to start using AdBlock or something, but I'm never entirely sure what blockers do that I might not want. FlashBlock being the one exception to that -- unwanted Flash is an abomination.
If I need a product, I'll do the research to find what best suits.
Otherwise, I despise advertising - 99% of which is absolutely moronic.
If that makes me a 'freeloader' in the minds of some, oh well.