Hacker News Reader

Yeah, that's the direct reference[1] but also more recent junk like ads in Explorer on Windows[2]. They're examples of the DE (maybe the wrong term, sorry) devs getting in the way of users doing what they want to do.

[1] https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/09/mark-shuttleworth-explai...

[2] https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/15/22979251/microsoft-file-e...

Well, Canonical did put ads in apt[1]

[1]: https://askubuntu.com/q/1434512

I remember in maybe 2011/2012, Ubuntu did have embedded ads in their Unity DE.

[1] https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/10/privacy-ubuntu-1210-am...

Not sure exactly what the OP was getting at, but it might be a dig at Windows and the random junk it keeps popping up now and again (news updates and whatnot).