Crucial internet resource Snopes.com is raising money on GoFundMe to keep going. Lots of you already know that we started taking reader contributions last month, and probably half of your favorite YouTubers, podcasters, and Twitch streamers do the same. "What happened to the old internet," you ask, "when people didn't always have their hand in my pocket?"

Great question! While others worry about net neutrality (and that is a big deal!), I say there is a much more imminent threat to the "free" (as in no-cost) internet: The slow collapse of web advertising. This is actually happening much faster than any hypothetical nightmare scenario net neutrality supporters warned us of ... and there's nobody we can lobby to fix it.

I'm very worried that we're quickly moving toward a walled-off version of the web that works like streaming services do now. To see all of the shows, you have to get Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube Red, HBO GO, Vudu, iTunes, and a dozen other services which combined cost more than your rent. Is that the future, all of the best sites bundled into paid subscriptions and audiences locked into ever more tightly sealed bubbles (since no one person can afford all of the services)? How did we get here?

I'll try to answer your questions without whipping out a bunch of pie charts, as the reasons are complex, and in many cases as boring as watching mushrooms fuck. But trust me, if you are reading these words, this affects you.

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