I know we are probably not on the same page at all here, I have 7k lurve and you 30k, so you probably have some more insight on it than me. But really, I find this site does a lot for the users. Look at Youtube for example, if you have a problem on youtube you can even send them an email because they simply don’t give a crap. Then you have sites like yahoo answers where all you get in an automated email telling you they cant or wont help you. they might as well send out an email telling you to go take it up the ass. To me, the existence of the meta section and the contact section say we are being listened to.
As for advertising, maybe its because I also make sites, But I cant really agree at all. Sites cost money, and without ads this would either be a pay site or would not exist at all. Personally, I enjoy creating content. Whenever I ask a question i always make sure to put relevant keywords on it, and whenever I answer a question i try to give a fair bit of text for search engines to pick up on. I always try to consider how the ads will play a part. I see it as covering my ass in a kind of way. As in, I like the site, I like coming here, so I like to provide good content that can be monetized to insure that I can come back tomorrow and the site will still be here. If you are logged in you cant even see the adds.
If I where the owner of this site, I would be doing much more to try and monetize it, and there would probably be a lot more ads. when it comes to ads I feel like this site has a very relaxed policy.
I don’t know what else to say really, I wish there where something i could say to make you feel better about it, but all i can come up with is pointing out how on this question you have got some answers from people who seem to have authority around here, and remind you that on most other sites you would have been given an automated message, or igonred, or would not have even been able to ask this in the first place. On a site like yahoo answers i imagine your question would have simply been deleted to protect the site’s image, and possibly have got a strike against your account.