Meta topic, but it seems kind of rude to link to the print page. The washington post is already a very readable site, If i don't want ads, i'll use adblock.
This page design is infinitely better than the other one, also linked on the HN front page. Seems like you get a choice. Hooray for freedom!
When you have the opportunity to show someone an ad-free, single page, uncluttered version of a piece of literature, do it. Please. Always.
I've never come across this view – can you tell me why you hold that opinion?
Look at what they call "underwriting" on nonprofit independent or public radio stations. "This production is brought to you by Bill's Shoes, 123 Main Street, Saginaw. Selling Men's and Women's shoes, boots and sandals since 1982."
Advertising goes beyond that, using false superlatives, misleading copy, calls to action, and peer pressure, at best. At worst it's just lies. There is nothing free about "buy one get one free", for instance. It's a lie. Sales, "deals", "limited time only" -- these are psychological games. Manipulation. Often, the "everyday" price the sale prices is marked down from, is a lie. Misleading propaganda at best. Straight up fraud at worst. This is the everyday "harmless" content we allow our children and politicians to watch.
And that's just traditional television, radio and print advertising. What passes for advertising on the internet is uniformly awful. I'd call most of it malware.
Also, the original page has a single page, no pagination:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-tr...
perhaps?
<!-- yes, I know...wanna fight about it? -->
However, when posting a link on a site that will likely generate hundreds of hits (3% of which might click the ad), its only fair to THE COMPANY to post to their main site.
I don't think it's really that big of a deal. If it was a subscription service we were all bypassing without paying that's one thing, but this is just another page on their public website like anything else.
If you don't want people to see it, don't publish it online.
Everyone should promise to buy whatever product is being advertised or at least convince themselves that their brain patterns have been changed so that they are more likely to buy the product in the future.
It's only fair to WaPo.