Show HN: Find someone in the dark – light them or light yourself? (Three.js)

A tiny web demo about finding someone lost in the dark somehow managed to ignite the kind of comment-section energy usually reserved for reality TV reunions. The project, built with Three.js, sets up a simple showdown: should a rescuer wander around with a searchlight until they spot the missing person, or stay put and shine like a beacon while the missing person walks toward the light? It’s framed as a toy experiment, not real rescue advice, and the creator says that loud and clear. But the community immediately zoomed past the disclaimer and went straight for the core philosophical roast.

The standout comment came fast and sharp: “while sweeping you are a beacon too.” That one-liner basically hijacked the whole conversation, because it pokes a hole in the demo’s neat either-or setup. In plain English: if you’re walking around with a light, you’re not just searching — you’re also broadcasting your location. Suddenly the “two strategies” looked less like rivals and more like messy cousins, and that tiny observation became the thread’s main character.

Then came the eternal internet demand: where’s the link? One commenter simply asked if there’s a hosted version somewhere, turning the mood from armchair theorizing to impatient curiosity. That low-key request is its own kind of comedy — people will absolutely debate survival tactics, but first they want to click it without setting up a server. The vibe here is equal parts clever nitpick, practical impatience, and nerdy delight at watching a simple dark-forest sim trigger an unexpectedly juicy debate.