I didn't say people always have a good reason for trusting the sites they go to. I trust that HN links are safe because I think that someone would make a stink, at least, if there were malware on a page linked here. It's not perfect but it is how things work. A nasty part of contemporary business and business in general is: as long as trust isn't visibly betrayed, people go on trusting. That doesn't excuse any of the actors who benefit from the ignorance.