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I blame online advertisers and marketers. They've crossed the line a long time ago and what Google have introduced is just a result of this.

I blame web users for responding to these ads. If they didn't work, advertisers wouldn't persist with them. You and I might actively boycott the companies concerned, but the ad-spewers aren't worried. It is purely a numbers game. And that, I suspect, is why this won't work. As a short term thing maybe, but longer term, if glittery, flashy, in-your-effing-face advertising works for the ad companies, they'll find ways round this. No matter what users want, this is an arms race - but despite their protestations about "improving the experience" Google actually want to sell more advertising, not less.