There's a harsh reality of any service, regardless of type. If you aren't the one paying for it, you aren't the customer, you're the product. The lurkers, commenters, posters, and mods are all part of the product to be sold to the real customers, the advertisers.

This move is like the ranchers deciding that veal will sell for a higher price, so now we're all being shackled so that we stay tender.