Ranking popular sites and their Web ad usage and cookies

 This response was from Open AI - Chat GPT, did some initial research on popular sites and ad usage, 

1. CNN – 57 ads

  • Popularity: Very high; one of the most visited news sites globally.

  • Ads & Cookies: Heavy ad load supports free content. Likely uses cookies for personalized content and ad tracking.

2. Apple.com – 0 ads

  • Popularity: Extremely high; brand-driven site.

  • Ads & Cookies: No ads because Apple monetizes via product sales, not ad revenue. Cookies are mostly for site functionality and analytics.

3. Google.com – 0 ads (homepage)

  • Popularity: One of the most visited sites in the world.

  • Ads & Cookies: No ads on the search homepage itself, but uses cookies heavily for personalized ads and tracking across Google services.

4. Adrienn White (adriennwhite.com) – 0 ads

  • Popularity: Niche/personal site, likely low traffic compared with mainstream media.

  • Ads & Cookies: No ads; cookies likely minimal, for analytics or functional purposes.

5. Slashdot.org – 41 ads

  • Popularity: Moderate; popular among tech enthusiasts and developers.

  • Ads & Cookies: Uses ads to support operations; fewer than mainstream media. Likely uses cookies for session management and ad targeting.

6. DailyMail (ushome page) – 78 ads

  • Popularity: Very high; mainstream tabloid news site.

  • Ads & Cookies: Heavy monetization via ads; likely extensive cookie tracking for ad personalization.

7. Hacker News (news.ycombinator.com) – No ads, no cookies

  • Popularity: Moderate-high among tech/startup communities.

  • Ads & Cookies: Runs on a minimalist model; no ads or tracking cookies. Supported by Y Combinator indirectly.

8. New York Times – 13 ads

  • Popularity: Very high; major US news site.

  • Ads & Cookies: Mix of ads and subscription model; uses cookies for user sessions, personalization, and marketing.

9. Steam Store – 0 ads, 5 cookies

  • Popularity: Very high in gaming community.

  • Ads & Cookies: No traditional ads; revenue comes from game sales. Cookies are used for login, purchase sessions, and analytics.

10. eBay – 4 ads, many cookies

  • Popularity: Very high; global e-commerce platform.

  • Ads & Cookies: Few display ads; cookies track user behavior, bidding, and personalization.

11. Amazon – 2 ads

  • Popularity: Extremely high; top global e-commerce site.

  • Ads & Cookies: Ads are minimal because primary revenue is product sales. Cookies used for personalization, cart management, and recommendations.

12. EVGrieve – 1 ad

  • Popularity: Niche/local blog (East Village NYC), low traffic.

  • Ads & Cookies: Minimal ads; cookies probably limited to analytics.

Summary Observations:

  • Sites like Apple, Google, Steam avoid ads because revenue comes from products or services, not advertising.

  • High-ad sites like DailyMail and CNN rely heavily on ad revenue to support content.

  • Niche or community sites (Hacker News, EVGrieve) often minimize ads to keep the user experience simple.

  • Cookie usage generally tracks revenue model: ad-heavy sites use more cookies for targeting, product-focused sites mostly use cookies for analytics or functional purposes.

...

And similar minimalist sites

Top 14 Minimalist News Websites

  1. NPR Text-Only
    A lightweight version of NPR's news portal, offering concise headlines and summaries with minimal data usage.

  2. CNN Lite
    Displays the latest 100 headlines in a straightforward, text-only format, ensuring quick loading times.

  3. CBC Lite
    Canada's public broadcaster's low-bandwidth portal, featuring a comprehensive range of news topics in a clean layout.

  4. Christian Science Monitor Text
    Offers in-depth articles in a minimalist design, focusing on thoughtful journalism without distractions.

  5. 68k News
    A simple text-based aggregator presenting headlines from various sources, ideal for quick news consumption.

  6. Markets.sh News
    Provides financial news and market data in a straightforward text format, without unnecessary embellishments.

  7. News Minimalist
    Utilizes AI to rank news stories by significance, delivering a curated selection of top headlines.

  8. Lenexia
    A customizable news aggregator that allows users to choose their preferred news sources for a personalized experience.

  9. Wikipedia Current Events Portal
    Summarizes ongoing global events with links to detailed articles, maintained by Wikipedia contributors.

  10. Guardian Gyford
    An unofficial, text-based version of The Guardian's daily news, updated once a day with a clean interface.

  11. Radio-Canada Mini
    A French-language, low-bandwidth news site from Canada's national broadcaster, featuring a minimalist design.

  12. Post Online Lite Edition
    A simplified version of Post Online's news site, focusing on essential content without distractions.

  13. Newsnow
    Aggregates headlines from multiple countries, offering a broad perspective on global news.

  14. Join1440
    Delivers a free daily news summary newsletter, providing a concise overview of top stories.

..


 Top Tech-Oriented Minimalist News & Discussion Sites

  1. Lobsters
    Invite-only, tech discussion site with focus on programming, startups, and security. Clean, minimal interface, low ads.

  2. Dev.to
    Developer community for articles, discussions, and tutorials. Minimal ads, cookie-light, tech-centric.

  3. Reddit – r/programming
    Tech-focused subreddit. Reddit has some ads, but using old.reddit.com or extensions reduces clutter.

  4. Stack Overflow Blog
    Mostly articles about software development, trends, and tech industry news. Minimal tracking.

  5. Slashdot
    Classic tech news site with user discussions. Some ads but very tech-oriented.

  6. CodeProject
    Articles and tutorials for developers. Minimalist design, technical content.

  7. Techmeme
    Aggregates latest tech news and blog posts. Clean layout, minimal cookies.

  8. Indie Hackers
    Focused on tech entrepreneurship and startup stories. Very minimal ads and clean UI.

  9. Product Hunt
    New tech products, apps, and software. Not completely minimalist but largely content-focused.

  10. DZone
    Developer news, tutorials, and guides. Minimalist design for tech readers.

  11. Hashnode
    Blogging platform for developers, tech discussions, and tutorials. Minimal tracking, developer-focused.

  12. r/technology on old Reddit
    Focus on tech news and industry trends. Minimalist layout on old.reddit.com.

  13. IEEE Spectrum
    Technical news and analysis. Clean, professional, mostly ad-light.

  14. Hacker Noon
    Medium-style tech stories, startup insights, and software development content. Mostly minimalistic.


...


✅ Working Links

  1. Lobsters – ✅ Works

  2. Dev.to – ✅ Works

  3. Reddit – r/programming – ✅ Works

  4. Stack Overflow Blog – ✅ Works

  5. Slashdot – ✅ Works

  6. CodeProject – ✅ Works

  7. Techmeme – ✅ Works

  8. Indie Hackers – ✅ Works

  9. Product Hunt – ✅ Works

  10. DZone – ✅ Works

  11. Hashnode – ✅ Works

  12. r/technology on old Reddit – ✅ Works

  13. IEEE Spectrum – ✅ Works

  14. Hacker Noon – ✅ Works

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