I totally agree with zackw. The fundamental problem with ads is that they have traditionally been annoying. Advertisement on the web was essentially popups, absolutely positioned windows that had to be closed and got in the way, flashing images, fake UI elements, noisy or poorly built flash elements that often crashed the browser.
Now, they’re less annoying (mostly) but have creepy tracking which nobody wants.
The advertising industry is 100% at fault for all of this so it’s no surprise that people choose to block ads. Couple the fact that advertising is annoying/invasive with it providing zero benefit and it’s unsurprising people choose to block ads. In fact, I’d wager that the 75% of people not blocking ads simply don’t know there is a choice.
Advertising as a revenue model on the web is dead. Quality content will bring in quality users who will financially reward the site in other ways.
A better revenue is offering consultation/expertise based on the content. Have a site that teaches web development? Let people pay for your expertise first hand after they see you know what you’re doing based on your content. The biggest issue is that the quality of most web content is lacking or available elsewhere. None of which is the fault of the user who may be blocking ads.