> users who we all know are, in fact, entitled to get everything for free

That kind of thing is explicitly required under HN rules - if a company requires payment, such submissions are only OK if a “workaround” to avoid paying is available.

Additionally, HN explicitly say it's OK:

* For HN comments to ask how to get around payment requirements, and

* For HN users to help other users to get around payment requirements

Source: Official HN FAQ page

Thank you for saying this. It's literally insane to me how thoroughly entrenched this sense of entitlement has become. It's at the point where it can't even be parodied, because a chunk of society, maybe even the majority, seriously holds the view that they are entitled to any software thing they want for free.

If he wants revenue he can restrict his product to paying users. Double dipping with the popularty of free access only to abuse users with spychological manipulation spam should never be accepted.