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Comment by delsarto | Hacker News Reader

Simpsons already did it ...

  Wiggum: I mailed these bogus prize certificates to every scofflaw in
          Springfield. When they show up for their free motor boats we arrest
          them and beat them to the full extent of the law.
   Eddie: So the hook is baited.
     Lou: Nice metaphore Eddie!
  Wiggum: Yeah, good work, Eddie!

http://www.snpp.com/episodes/5F05

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At least one real police force has done this, and I'd be surprised if it's not more common.

(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2060655/Free-beer-cr...)

(Apologies for awful daily mail source.)

This has happened several times in the Chicago area, most recently in October http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-05/news/ct-met-da...

Not really an appropriate comment for HN. This isn't reddit.

I understand why you (and others like you) express this sentiment, but I think you're putting the cart before the horse.

This comment doesn't expand the conversation, it just expresses an opinion and doesn't attempt to engage the original poster. In scolding delsarto for creating a post with (I assume) limited on-topic discussion & engagement potential, you've created another post with limited on-topic discussion & engagement potential.

We already have some language in the guidelines on how to engage in discussion, but maybe something specific to "what about posts you don't think add to the discussion"? OTOH, Communities that try to enforce rules too stringently end up being communities about those rules.

I disagree on the first point. I do love a good Simpson's reference.

And I love my cats, but I hope you'll agree that cat photos are not germane. I have many interests outside the scope of this site, and I'm sure you do too. That doesn't mean we should try and drag this site toward the lowest common denominator. Different sites should be different. More homogeneity is not what the Internet needs.

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