That's why many websites require you to register. They're trying to figure out who you are. Few sites can survive from advertising revenue alone. With the current economic downtown and death of many dotcom companies, online advertising has declined dramatically. Although online advertising is expected to rebound, most of the revenue goes to a handful of large sites.
Small publishers have to divide the proverbial crumbs.
The Resource Center at Internet ad agency Double Click offers a wealth of information for aspiring Web publishers. Subscriptions Some websites now charge subscription fees, starting as low as a few dollars per month. Subscriptions can be on a monthly or yearly basis. Subscriptions, however, run contrary to the brief traditions of the Internet, where most information has been free. According to a survey from Jupiter Communications, a majority of respondents claimed that they were unwilling to pay a monthly fee for website access.