I remember the 90s internet. It was a neat place but I wouldn't call it very useful by modern standards.

usefulness today is not because of ads.

I don't get why you are being downvoted so many huge things are literally funded by ads. Google Maps is funded by ads, so is all of Google X. The money that started the development of self driving cars and made people believe it was something we could be done soon was funded by ads. Where did Facebook get 2 billion dollars to by Oclous to provide funding for VR? Ads. Perhaps in a future we will have a good model for micropayments and you can pay .1 cents for every webpage you visit be in the meantime ads provide the revenue streams that make this work.

Even if, what does that have to do with the parent posting about "modern standards"?