So all A/B testing is unethical? Like figuring out if people navigate your deskt... | Hacker News

Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit

		crazygringo on June 10, 2023 \| parent \| context \| favorite \| on: Army tested 'germ warfare' on NYC subway (2015) So all A/B testing is unethical? Like figuring out if people navigate your desktop site better depending on whether it uses a menu bar or hamburger menu? Why is a product change ethical if it's done not as part of an experiment, but it becomes unethical if it's part of an experiment? If the end user has the exact same experience in both cases?

brigandish on June 10, 2023 | [–]

> So all A/B testing is unethical?

Without consent, yes.

> the end user has the exact same experience in both cases?

They do not, and as a customer it should be up to them whether they are given a different experience.

dunefox on June 10, 2023 | [–]

This is nitpicking on a high level. Impressive.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact