So I think there are (at least) a couple of separate issues here.
1) Is Something ethical marketing tactics.
This is mostly what I was trying to address. If something is the result of ethical marketing then I'm of the opinion, "We'll allow it!" The reason for this being that "the better product" will fail if marketing is poor; and so people are typically better off going with an inferior product that survives.
2) Is Product Hunt allowing/perpetuating voter rings?
I think this goes to your issue of, "THE SAME people be in the first 10 upvotes". Honestly I'm not sure, but I do think Product Hunt's model is flawed. I think this message on Product Hunt alone gives some indication to the problem,
"Product Hunt is a community of product enthusiasts. Submissions are accepted by our most active members, specifically those that have been invited by others in the community."
It is an invite only, non open community. So in a certain sense the entire site is one giant voter ring; we all can vote, but we can't submit. So all voters are limited to voting on products from those deemed worthy by Product Hunt of posting in the first place.
If we were to contrast this with Eduhunt.co (same as Product Hunt, but targets only educational products) it is an open community that allows anyone that registers to post.
1) Is Something ethical marketing tactics.
2) Is Product Hunt allowing/perpetuating voter rings?I think this goes to your issue of, "THE SAME people be in the first 10 upvotes". Honestly I'm not sure, but I do think Product Hunt's model is flawed. I think this message on Product Hunt alone gives some indication to the problem,
"Product Hunt is a community of product enthusiasts. Submissions are accepted by our most active members, specifically those that have been invited by others in the community."
It is an invite only, non open community. So in a certain sense the entire site is one giant voter ring; we all can vote, but we can't submit. So all voters are limited to voting on products from those deemed worthy by Product Hunt of posting in the first place.
If we were to contrast this with Eduhunt.co (same as Product Hunt, but targets only educational products) it is an open community that allows anyone that registers to post.