re: I tried NetZero once, a free dial-up internet service provider
They had a banner across the top of the screen displaying adverts. It took up about a quarter of the screen. Together with the slow connection speed, it sucked. Then after a few months they renegged on their free service and required a $10/mth fee. No wait... maybe it was $9.99 plus tax. I forget. I formatted my hard drive to cleanse my computer of it.