What if we assume that we are consumers hoping that companies will produce products we want to use? Are we going to be super tolerant and understanding of all the pain their site imposes on us? Or are we going to call them assholes and morons and make it very clear that we can and will get equivalent content elsewhere?

They manipulate and abuse us, we manipulate and abuse them. If we are supposed to be understanding of the self-interested reasons they manipulate and abuse us, can't we expect the same courtesy in return?