Your assertion is true but you missed the point. Completely.
Let me clarify - the process by which commenters gleefully (damn that’s a nice word) add things to the list is illustrative of how things got added to the interview process. No one ever said something (or anything) should be done before interview.
Now as for “tackling before you die”.
If your name is Bobby Wagner, than by all means, tackle, it’s your job, but please do not die.
If you are programmer, you are not obliged to neither.
The blog post is offering interesting things to do as a hobby.
An interview process is completely different. An interviewer who loads up a process with nonsense is a prat, and is actively decreasing the quality of their hires.
Yes, that's what's happening. Apparently hiding the reply link and forcing you to go through a different route is considered to be a compromise that hopefully stops people a bit/causes them to take note without stopping the conversation entirely.
Let me clarify - the process by which commenters gleefully (damn that’s a nice word) add things to the list is illustrative of how things got added to the interview process. No one ever said something (or anything) should be done before interview.
Now as for “tackling before you die”.
If your name is Bobby Wagner, than by all means, tackle, it’s your job, but please do not die.
If you are programmer, you are not obliged to neither.