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Comment by goldenkey | Hacker News Reader

It wasn't so genius to be expository to random people via email, about a link-back scam. Sorry RapDingus, it's over; maybe next go around you'll have less hubris and daringness in using unethical practices.

http://jmarbach.com/rapgenius-growth-hack-exposed

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If you think this isn't happening all the time, everywhere -- you're mistaken.

Not many funded startups are dumb enough to publicly email folk asking for links in return for tweets/linkbacks. That's pure stupidity; might as well upload a video on a bad political stance with your brand overlayed, because the worms don't stay in the can with any kind of public communication. They should have been more clock-and-dagger with their scheming -- their hubris was their downfall.

Of course many spammy sites use this practice but they don't have the respect from the tech community that Rap Genius warrants as a Y-Combinator funded entity. They lost that, and it's going to be a steep climb for them to find talented folk that want to be part of a seedy operation.

People rob and steal, does that make it acceptable for you to do it? People are racist, does that make it acceptable for you to do it? People don't give up seats for pregnant and old women, is it acceptable if you don't? Not everything is black and white, but this is. What I'm getting at sscalia is that the small minded way people like you think is something that's wrong with this society. Fix up.

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