I think Jon’s done a pretty good job of keeping the ads at a sensible level.
And, this is one of the few sites left, I’ve noticed, that doesn’t try to insert a pop-under as soon as the URL begins to resolve, or at any other time while connected.

Keeping stuff like that out is something I really appreciate, however, the down side, of course, is that it limits the amount of possible revenue for the site operator. If anything (and I can’t believe I’m about to say this…), Jon could probably do with a little more ad content (and the revenue)!

I’ve been so focused on the content and dialogue, I often don’t even take note of the presence of the ads.
(Probably due to the fact that less advertising facilitates this focus.)

Talk about a Catch 22!

Sell your audience what they want to buy from you. Don’t cannibalise a chunk of what value they do perceive in your work at disproportionate expense by devaluing it with advertising. The monetary return you make is a small fraction of the loss in value to your audience.