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If you hate ads but feel a bit guilty for blocking them and denying some sites their main source of revenue, Google now offers a middle road. Google Contributor is "an experiment in additional ways to fund the web." You sign up to contribute $1, $2 or $3 per month, and when you visit participating sites, instead of Google ads (others will still show) you'll just see a pattern or thank-you message. Meanwhile, those partner sites get a portion of the Contributor money whenever you visit.

Google

Only a few websites are taking part for now. Among them are The Onion, ScienceDaily and popular image host Imgur. And like many Google "experiments," there's no guarantee it'll last forever (remember Wave?) — but if the idea appeals to you, sign up to get on the wait list for invitations.

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SOCIAL

A promising Google initiative: opt out of ads, pledge monthly micropayments to content creators instead: https://t.co/P7hFUXKtuS — Dudley Storey (@dudleystorey) November 20, 2014

Good summary: "Now that everybody hates ads, it's suggesting you remove those ads with another Google product" https://t.co/EcuSwYkFwC — Mathew Ingram (@mathewi) November 20, 2014

—Devin Coldewey