This seems similar to adding an addictive drug to food. It will certainly appeal to a lot of people, but does it add value? Getting more consumers of your product should not be the end goal if we want a healthy, high trust society. Developing a good product should be.
> Only people already interested in the project on its own merits were following along
Isn't this what we want as a society?
the rest of us want revenue. there is no build it and they will come, its appealing to people's sentiments, and the people have to know its there at all.
There is a right way and a wrong way to achieve success.
Profit is not the only thing that matters in life.
regardless, a for-profit company should not use its runway on ideals as it won't last very long, it has to build and find ways to be known about beyond its small community. that's what this is about.
If the business suffers in the short term, so be it.
I do understand this is not a popular view in todays business world however, and it shows.
That doesnt mean be unethical, it means dont try to move the overton window or “use your platform”, other organizations exist specifically to do this and they are not called for profits