Google tests replacing web ads with contributions

Google on Thursday began rolling out a way for people to support websites they frequent and, in return, be rewarded with ad-free pages.

Google on Thursday began rolling out a way for people to support websites they frequent and, in return, be rewarded with ad-free pages.

A 'Google Contributor' experiment was introduced with a handful of partners including tech news website Mashable and The Onion, which is known for clever satires.

Google described the effort as an 'experiment in additional ways to fund the web.'

'When you visit a participating website, part of your contribution goes to the creators of that site,' Google said at a page launched for those interested in taking part.

'As a reminder of your support, you'll see a thank you message -- often accompanied by a pixel pattern -- where you might normally see an ad.'

Contributors are asked to set a monthly donation amount ranging from one to three dollars, and in exchange wipe out the ads that some surfers see as a nuisance.

Donated money is doled out based on which websites contributors visit, with Google keeping an unspecified portion.