If it wasn't for ad revenue, do you think you would be able to work on these things that people like and are supposed improvements to people's lives? That there would be funding for such work?
Your position is arguably worse than selling out: Others do the dirty work – 'Ads or various "evil" things' – so you can do the nice stuff and claim a clean conscience.
I've commuted 1hr by car for 2.5yrs. Don't recommend it. I'd happily take a 15k paycut if my company relocated within a 15 min drive. The driving became so mind-numbing after a few months. And I shudder to think of all the lost sleep from the early mornings.
Your position is arguably worse than selling out: Others do the dirty work – 'Ads or various "evil" things' – so you can do the nice stuff and claim a clean conscience.