#embarrassing it is what this is
I’ve seen even people who are pro-ao3 say that it should just get advertisers instead of having donation drives, which is. Uncomfortable. The ad-free aspect of ao3 isn’t just about convenience or even about giving fans at least one space where they aren’t bombarded with advertisements, it’s already about protecting ao3 itself.
The thing about hosting ads on your site is that it means your advertisers can influence the content the site hosts, demanding that certain things be removed (or added) and threatening to cut their support if they aren’t listened to. Relying entirely on donations doesn’t just protect users from invasive advertising and marketing, it also ensures that ao3 can continue to exist as an archive that isn’t censored by corporations or banks.
I honestly can’t believe people are so ignorant about how the internet works as to not realize this, but apparently it needed to be said.
