rick752 wrote:the day that a webmaster takes 100% responsibility for the content of the 3rd-party ads and its linked content, tracking scripts, cookies, privacy invasion, and possible maleware, adware, or trojans served through his site is the day that I will even listen to this kind of argument

Do you want to sign something that says YOU take responsibility for that stuff right now Danny?... or just make a public "yes" right here? I'm sure your answer would be a "no" ... you all want the free $$$ without any of the responsibility.
I use Google Adsense, Text-ad-links, BlogAdSwap (my own business) and ads served via my own installation of phpAdsNew on my 60+ sites. The first two have a sterling reputation for professionalism, integrity and being appropriately descrete. I run BlogAdSwap and my own installation of phpAdsNew, so I can take responsibility for them.
rick752 wrote: (ps: I also love the fact that you serve ads on your site AND then also ask for donations

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I have two kids with a severe congenital condition that requires daily medication, frequent doctor visits and sudden and serious ER visits. My wife was fired from her job a month ago for not returning her boss's romantic advances. (large corporation, wimpy laws) We lost our health insurance when my wife was fired and I can't make enough on the internet because there are too many people that like to enjoy other people's hard work without making any effort to reward them for it, so we were taking donations in an attempt to pay medical bills. Meanwhile I run (for free) the largest site for people with the same condition my children have, where I frequently hear how parents wish there was a way one of them could stay at home to care for their ill child, but they just can't afford to. So my anger at those who intentionally try to take money from people who desparately need it should be understandable.
Two million ABP users who, for the sake of argument, may have clicked on one ad a week (well, well below the average) at 5 cents a click. That's $400,000 a month taken from web sites owners, among them hard working people who are trying to make life a little easier in the face of overwhelming difficulties.
But hey, you guys don't have to be bothered by an ad and a 7 year-old little boy dies because the daycare worker didn't recognize the symptoms of the medical crisis he was in, when either of his parents would have, but had to work because the internet was too unprofitable. I suppose that's somehow even, right.
As for your odd definition of slander. Slander is for the spoken word, libel is for the printed word. Either way it isn't applicable, because no judge or jury would ever deny that someone intentionally bypassing the obvious monetization techniques for a web site while using the resources of that site could not be reasonably refered to as theft.