i don't think there's anything inherently wrong with them summarizing stories or having their own bulleted list of facts about a topic. having their own website allows them to have alot more control over their own destiny since they aren't at the whims of TG. plus having a real rss feed is sick.

as for the "ads." there's nothing wrong with promoting yourself. as long as it's not overkill. watching a 30 second ad every two minutes for a ten minute video on YT is excessive. ignoring a promotion for a service i enjoy in my rss feed every few days is nothing. if it keeps them afloat, then great.