Everything2 without ads running on top for quite some time now. I must say, I like it.
I like it a lot.
In fact, I had not thought of it until now, but I would probably pay for an e2 that was free of ads, or, at the very least, make regular donations (a la Pay Pal). I know it's probably not possible to get this information, but I can't help but think that the money e2 makes from the banner ads does not add up to very much at the end of the day. With the growing member base here on e2, why not ditch the ads for a while, put a little link at the bottom of every page (text link, of course!) to the various donation sites? I would be happy to throw a few coins into the bin every now and again. I'm sure many of the other users would as well.
I can just hear the sounds of people crying about the evils of Pay Pal, or other online payment systems. Fine, don't contribute. No one would force you.
I really, really like the lack of ads. In fact, I have noded more tonight than I have in weeks. It seems foreign not to have ads on the page - it's been too long! This brings me back to the days when there were no hideous banner ads on every page, coupled with the notorious pop-ups seen recently. I miss the days when the Internet was "pure" in the sense that there were no obtrusive and distracting ads.
So, if this is intentional, KEEP IT UP. I LIKE IT. We like it. No banners forever!