Good to know. I never looked at it that way. I was intending to pay the advertisers so in my head it helps them too. -- But, I can see how that still doesn't really mean that it helps the community.
Anyway, thanks for you time. It's seriously a big problem for me. I feel pretty blocked because off-topic spammers have ruined forums. And highly paid
SEO advertising means little guys can't get placed by Google. This last 3 months have been a wake up call for me to realize that the web isn't as decentralized and open as I thought it was. :/
Sorry, I quit whining. I'm NOT looking for pity, just surprised and frustrated. I'd love to try to become part of the community. I'm a music lover both in creating and devouring, but I just have too many things pulling on my time...
Best,
Ryan