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When my youngest son took his two girls - 12 and 8 - for Trick or Treat, some people were so impressed by the fact that they did a "performance" for the candy that they called neighbors and told them to be on the look-out for the two sisters who did "The Cup Song". Several people were delighted that they said "Thank you, Happy Hallowe'en" and gave them extra candy for politeness.
Seems the kids who show up in the vans don't tell a joke, sing a little song, recite a little verse. Just want the candy. And when they get it they don't bother to be polite.
People have their own reasons for no longer enjoying the tradition of little kids dressing up and begging for a piece of candy. The little kids have grown into surly teens with no manners or sense of fun. It has essentially become about intimidation and while the Lord loveth a cheerful giver, the Giver loveth a "thank you" now and again.
I hadn't had neighborhood kids for years but I still bought candy for the ones that were dropped off. I don't blame the kids if the parents live in an unsafe or unwalkable area. It is only once a year! I enjoyed going when I was a kid and I wasn't going to be a scrooge.
I live in a 55+ community now so no trick or treat.
I don't mind the teens or drop off kids. Halloween is a time for fun and being childish. All the teens who came to my door were polite and loved getting something. I gave them glow in the dark vampire teeth and the majority put them on right after leaving the door. I heard a lot of "Cool", "Thanks lady", and "Vampire teeth!". Maybe I just like kids.
Driving kids from your 'hood to mine so they can run around and hit me and my neighbors up for candy triggers my "trick" reflex - cold sprinklers before 7, pepper spray after.
I got a better one. A chalk outline on the sidewalk next to an empty "skittles" bag.
I am sure they were aware that houses without a porch light on were not participating, and they just did not care. Maybe they figure (or are able) to coax something out of those houses frequently enough that they give them a try.
Some folks might be intimidated into giving something over to a group of teens on the porch at night.
So the kids in my hood usually trick or treat in packs. As usual, we got separated and there were only 4 trick or treaters in our group...6 year olds. I was talking and realized they were at a door with the porch light off, so I had to tell them they had to look for the light. Later, we were at another house and they we walking up to it and I said, "look, no porchlight", but my son said "see, the light is on inside..." He didn't realize it was only the porch light that needed to be on. Gasp, he was THIS close to ringing a door without a porchlight.
Good point. Someone has to teach a kid about porch lights off. No point getting ticked off about it if they don't have parents to teach them what is good and bad Halloween etiquette. When I was a kid I didn't know this when I was real young and remember someone had to tell me at some time.
We had some people in our neighborhood who didn't want to give me candy when I was about 9 because I was super tall compared to my friends and they thought I was older, even though I was in costume. We don't judge our trick or treaters. While I really enjoy seeing the neighborhood kids I know, I especially like the van loads of kids as you get a huge mix and it is clearly a family activity. Lots of the adults are dressed up but they don't come to the door. If they do we give them candy to.
There's an unwritten rule about Halloween, and it's just as you say: light off means no trick-or-treaters. Since so many are accompanied by what appears to be every parent in the group (not fer nothin', but it looks like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir standing outside when I open the door), one would think they'd direct the kids.
Anyway, that's the drill. Put on your outside light. Then at around 9 p.m. you can have fun peeking out your own front door to see if the other neighbors have turned theirs off yet--and see them peeking out, too.
I'd say most kids know that lights off means the home is not participating. As this was one group of teens, I'd say that's pretty obvious.
Not addresses to the OP, but lots of grinches posting here, sheesh, it's once a year.
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All the teens who came to my door were polite and loved getting something. I gave them glow in the dark vampire teeth and the majority put them on right after leaving the door. I heard a lot of "Cool", "Thanks lady", and "Vampire teeth!". 
Maybe I just like kids.
