I never said it wasn't useful information to have. Just that it was a classless thing to do. Let your customers speak for you, or blow your own horn in your own announcement thread.
God I hate marketers. Crapping on social norms and basic manners for a quick buck every day of the week.
Yes, I hate over the top marketing as much as anyone, but this isn't that.
Heroku guy should have just pulled the other marketer trick... get a stooge to post a thread asking "Can someone compare GAE and Heroku". This way he could promote his product without looking like a jerk.
In someone else's product announcement thread, STFU about your product. If it's good enough, your customers will mention it. Basic manners really.
As you can see, I've gone way overboard on this. This will be my last post. I'm just pissed because EVERY hn announcement thread is like this. Someone does something and announces it, and you'll see "oh I did it first... and mine is better and cheaper, ignore his".
You ask "I really don't get what you're talking about here."
Well heroku guy knows what I'm talking about... that's why he prefaced his self-promotion with "shameless plug" like all the others that do.
Except saying "shameless plug" doesn't make it any less shameful.
Instead, the Heroku guy pulled another marketer trick... got a stooge to manufacture outrage, just to keep the conversation going.