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  3. /Ask HN: Where to warn people of a legal-but-evil online business ploy?
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  3. /Ask HN: Where to warn people of a legal-but-evil online business ploy?
Nov 23, 2025 at 1:42 PM EST

Ask HN: Where to warn people of a legal-but-evil online business ploy?

thimkerbell
2 points
3 comments

Mood

skeptical

Sentiment

negative

Category

ask_hn

Key topics

Online_business

Ethics

Warning

I don't think just posting it on HN would work. (It's a ploy like digging a hole beside their path,then hindering their travel to "nudge" them to step off it where they might not recognize the hazard.)

Discussion Activity

Light discussion

First comment

1m

Peak period

5

Hour 1

Avg / period

3

Comment distribution6 data points
Loading chart...

Based on 6 loaded comments

Key moments

  1. 01Story posted

    Nov 23, 2025 at 1:42 PM EST

    13h ago

    Step 01
  2. 02First comment

    Nov 23, 2025 at 1:44 PM EST

    1m after posting

    Step 02
  3. 03Peak activity

    5 comments in Hour 1

    Hottest window of the conversation

    Step 03
  4. 04Latest activity

    Nov 23, 2025 at 4:53 PM EST

    9h ago

    Step 04

Generating AI Summary...

Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns

Discussion (3 comments)
Showing 6 comments
thimkerbell
13h ago
1 reply
Also, where is today's Usenet?
DaveZale
12h ago
https://www.newshosting.com/usenet/is-usenet-dead/
DaveZale
12h ago
2 replies
what category of "evil online business ploy" do you have in mind? I see dozens of them daily with even brief, casual browsing. Also known as "monetization" ;-)

But it's not just online that I find these ploys. In fact, thanks to donating to the wrong non-profit, it's frightfully simple to end up with a stack of snail mail in the mailbox daily, often with free gifts to entice donations. I can't seem to find a simple, free way to turn it off.

thimkerbell
9h ago
In this case, it was Google popping up to cheerfully ask if the news item was of interest to me. But then asking "why" and using dark-pattern wording on the answer options. (I do wonder if people who click on "the ad knew too much" (in that context) know what they're doing. This one was more subtle.)
jqpabc123
12h ago
I can't seem to find a simple, free way to turn it off.

Never use your real name and address.

But of course, it's too late after making a donation and thus self identifying as a willing and able rube.

No good deed goes unpunished.

uyzstvqs
12h ago
You can make a Tell HN post if it affects the HN crowd. And you can potentially make a page on the Consumer Rights Wiki.[1]

[1] https://consumerrights.wiki/w/Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Write_you...!

View full discussion on Hacker News
ID: 46026135Type: storyLast synced: 11/23/2025, 7:24:01 PM

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