So a little conversation here on HN about ads that I had brought this question to me: I don't think I have clicked an ad more than a handful of times, intentionally and purposefully, since I first used a computer (I got my first computer when I was 11 and I'm almost 24). And I never made a purchase mediated directly (or indirectly but I'm not sure) by an online ad.
What I wonder then is that how frequently has the HN people made use of online ads as potential customers: how many times, if any, have you intentionally clicked an online ad; and how many times, if ever, has an online ad directly influenced a purchase you've made (i.e. you clicked an ad and made a purchase through the page it landed you to)?
The reason is simple: I have never seen a “typical” web ad that didn’t annoy the hell out of me, and the last thing I do is try to reward annoyances.