This addresses two issues:
• personally, I'd like to contribute to the sift, but for me, now, 5$ per month are too much
• I don't care about the ads, as long as they are text ads, I can stand image ads if I have to, but I really do hate those stupid flash ads like the "about a guy" that there was some weeks ago

how about allowing a lesser membership?

such as you pay less, you get less:
• don't care about extra slots, colored nicks, blog and things like that
• you still see the ads, but only the text ones. And I miss howard too, that's not a problem: it's always the same image and I got used to it

of course I can use adblock, as I am right now, but I'd rather not, if feels like cheating
That's why I resisted installing it until today.

if you think it's not doable because you fear that too many people would only pay the lesser, even those which are now paying for regular membership, well, I understand you, no problem.