Here's the thing: would you read a book with ads in it, if it was free? That's how a lot of web sites work. That's how TV works. Given how desperate publishers are for income, it wouldn't surprise me to see them try the same model - and e-books are the perfect vehicle. Plus, then they could charge a premium for "ad-free" versions. And the less scrupulous (or more desperate) the publisher, the more aggressive the ads are going to get.
Sadly, I think OGH is right on this one.
]]>Extending the analogy, if the advent of eukaryotic cells was a type of singularity, then humans using computers could also be a type of singularity, and yes, it's going on right now. If so, then what it will look like is that people will more and more closely integrate computers into themselves, until a new type of organism emerges. We will have added a new "organelle" and become something different (better, hopefully).
And don't think that mitochondria are degenerating. One way of looking at it is that the mitochondria is a supremely successful organism. For every eukaryotic cell, there are many mitochondria. They sit safe and protected, outsourcing their drudge work to the host cell and concentrating on what they do best. They help their host to be successful and reap the benefits. Pretty smart.
]]>