Calling it a "tip" is definitely just a semantic trick to make it slightly less easy to frame a negative response and galvanise opinion against the practise. Reminds me a bit of confirmation shaming (which, now I think about it, I haven't seen in a while) where you're made to click a button that says something like "No, I don't want an amazing 15% off my next order by signing up to your email list".

I this a similar thing? Apple web signin doesn't let you easily choose SMS 2FA; you have to click "I can't get to my devices right now" first before you can send yourself a text message. I always resent them for making me lie, because although my devices ARE nearby (ish), my phone is always, like RIGHT THERE.

I was playing Mario Party Jamboree this weekend with my kids, and when you use a key to unlock doors (for anyone not familiar, Mario Party is a family friendly virtual board game with lots of minigames that’s been around since the Nintendo 64) that serve as shortcuts in the game board, the key is alive and says “don’t you want to keep being friends? You wouldn’t use me on a door, would you?” Which is a humorous twist on confirmation shaming inside of the game and gives me a bit of enmity for the imaginary key.

Conversely, on Doom Dark Ages they got rid of the traditional difficulty mode of “I’m too young to die” which had a picture of Doom Guy with a bib and a pacifier, I think there’s some new industry guidance that it’s a no no to poke fun at people picking easy difficulties, or even indicating what difficulty the game was “designed to be played on” which Japanese game devs happily ignore.

I know these aren’t actual equivalents since your money isn’t used on the line and it’s purely a game state, buts it’s still an interesting and noteworthy transition.

>> you're made to click a button that says something like "No, I don't want an amazing 15% off my next order by signing up to your email list"

Ugh, this type of thing is the worst. "Click here to remain fat, drunk and stupid!"*

* Animal House, 1978

> semantic trick

That's what I wanted to say! Thank you.