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The top modded comment on this story is an anonymous user directly accusing Groupon of sockpuppeting online discussions citing evidence that is refuted downthread by a non-anonymous HN user. Not OK. This is a form of incivility.

Words matter. If you don't know someone is a paid shill for another company, use words that indicate that.

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I respect your trying to bring attention to incivility on HN, but in what way is the user anonymous? Their account seems old enough and has plenty karma to make me respect their opinion.

Also, in my case, the GP expressed the same opinion that I had after seeing those comments on the OP.

True, I didn't know for a fact that Rachel Baker was a sockpuppet but she sure looked and sounded like one. If she had linked her consulting website profile to her freshly minted Blogger profile, I probably wouldn't have jumped to that conclusion.

Was I uncivil? Some might argue polluting blog comments with marketing pabulum is uncivil. I just thought it was kind of interesting, indicative perhaps of where Groupon invests some of its resources.

You just repeated the accusation, even though you know you're wrong.

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