Think about it this way - regardless of the revenue model, it's the users that are paying for the content. It might be direct, as in a NYT subscription, or there could be detours (advertiser pays the publisher -> a business pays the advertiser -> the customer pays the business). There would be no ads if they didn't work and people didn't buy the things that they advertise.
The fundamental problem is the same as with spam. Let's say it takes $1 for a business to show an ad to a person and that every hundredth person is going to buy the product. If their product brings in $100 or more of profit, they break even and are justified in running the ad.
What this model doesn't consider that for the rest 99 people the ad was an inconvenience and, in fact, provided a negative value. Let's say that was 20¢ worth of attention and annoyance. Is anyone going to give them their 20¢ back?
In essence, businesses are only concerned with their customers while non-customers are in a way subsidizing the business. What kind of system can fix this, I don't know, but I'd be interested in hearing what other people have to say.
The fundamental problem is the same as with spam. Let's say it takes $1 for a business to show an ad to a person and that every hundredth person is going to buy the product. If their product brings in $100 or more of profit, they break even and are justified in running the ad.
What this model doesn't consider that for the rest 99 people the ad was an inconvenience and, in fact, provided a negative value. Let's say that was 20¢ worth of attention and annoyance. Is anyone going to give them their 20¢ back?
In essence, businesses are only concerned with their customers while non-customers are in a way subsidizing the business. What kind of system can fix this, I don't know, but I'd be interested in hearing what other people have to say.