undefined | Better HN

0 pointsuserbinator10y ago0 comments

By doing that, you're implicitly saying "exploit me". You are helping them succeed, but only in the way that they want. I don't think subjecting yourself to such torture, when it will only bring more of the same, is a good idea.

0 comments

nostrademons10y ago

You post on Hacker News, which is a marketing vehicle for YCombinator. Your content helps make it more attractive to prospective startup founders, which lets YCombinator reach their target market with virtually no marketing expense.

Why is sending usage data to Microsoft saying "exploit me", but contributing free marketing to YCombinator is something you do daily?

The world doesn't have to operate on zero-sum principles. There's nothing wrong with helping someone or something out "just because".

userbinatorOP10y ago

One big difference is that I'm fully in control of what I post on HN, whereas "usage data" is far less well-defined. I can literally see every single byte that gets sent to HN, but "usage data" is so vague (and likely intentionally so) that it could mean just about anything you do with the product.

With respect to "exploit me", that was more in reference to not using an adblocker.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse