I don't think the alternate is to have a subscription site. Like most online publications, there are already several (more actually) inline ads on the home page, as well as in the articles themselves. Now there is an additional ad before you are taken to the site. Sure it is skippable now, but it won't always be. Once they realize they can generate more ad revenue by making them unable to be bypassed, or by making them appear every time, they will. Next may be longer intro-ads, or more than one. And then who is to say what is next?

Take the print publication, as an analogy. IDG generates most of their revenue from the advertising they sell in the print publication (and it is a substantial amount, you can believe). So then it was realized that they could put several-page-long ads for greater revenue. These ads are disguised as articles, even though there is a small disclaimer at the top or bottom stating that it is an advertisement. I find these very annoying, deceitful even. They also decided to wrap the magazine in a cover, giving the ability to sell more advertising - very similar to the intro-ad you must click through to get to the web site. What happens next when they use non-tearable plastic so it takes you longer to open up the wrapper? Or when they require you to manually remove individual page covers displaying ads to get to the content?

I am exaggerating, of course, to prove my point. Unchecked, this site could become much more ad-infested. Of course I realize that they need to generate revenue. And I also realize that the ad-selling business model online is much different than print media. That is why I feel it is important to give my feedback in the Website Feedback forum. And I think it is also important for others to voice their opinions as well, thank you for speaking up!

I agree with you that a 5-second intro ad is better than a non-skippable alternative. But let them stop now before they lose my patronage, please.

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