Given our recent boom in traffic (we've more than doubled in the past three weeks, and continue to rise) we're seriously considering the addition of Google Ads to the site. Now I hate banners as much as you do, if not more, and I recognize that an ad-free environment is one of the draws of TWG. That said, I really think that some text-only ads along the top or right side could be fairly unobtrusive, and since google ads are context-based we might actually get something interesting (though certain threads and articles are bound to generate Naked Fairy links).
The benefit of google ads would be, of course, money, which I would control, and which I would use exclusively for the good of the site; in most cases that will mean "buying games we can't get for free." This money will not be used to buy myself lunch, and I like to think that I'm a pretty fair guy, so don't worry that it is being misused.
It is important to me to get your opinions on this issue, so please let me know what you think. Are ads a wonderful idea? A tolerable idea? A horrible travesty? Sound off.