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

3•thimkerbell•2mo ago

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.)

Comments

thimkerbell•2mo ago

Also, where is today's Usenet?

DaveZale•2mo ago

https://www.newshosting.com/usenet/is-usenet-dead/

uyzstvqs•2mo 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...!

DaveZale•2mo ago

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.

jqpabc123•2mo 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.

thimkerbell•2mo 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.)

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