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I don't know how to distinguish that from "You won't believe who's giving a way a repo #2 will shock you"

• dang 7y ago
  Titles like that try to generate the same effect as hot-topicness by relying on gimmicky language. They activate the same reflexive responses as I described above—they just do it by form rather than content. That's even worse of course. At least with a genuine hot topic there's a feeling of satisfaction when you find out what the latest development is. It's like watching the next episode of a popular series. But titles that have only bait and no content are like feeling that anticipation, only to be tricked into watching another commercial. That works for getting views, but everyone hates it and has an icky feeling afterwards, and over time it builds up a strong residue of resentment. That kind of title operates even less by intellectual curiosity than the kind I was talking above, so it's even worse for HN. They are the kind we edit and everyone agrees with the edit.