I definitely agree that LW’s structure encourages participation (I have rarely contributed to OB) and the to and fro of comments gives valuable information on what/who people are in this “rationalist community” and where you stand.
However “the first comment you encounter is going to be something highly intelligent” is sales-talk and highly ridiculous. The first coment you encounter is just as likely to be runaway conformity. I would suggest that the pressure to conform is high and much of the intelligence is being used to signal logical dexterity on things with very little practical benefit.
It is my impression that LW is a tight community with little tolerance for what falls outside Eliezers definition of rationality and how rational people express themselves. I do not think this description will be accepted by Eliezer or the other contributors (and it would never be one of the first comments you met on a thread) but maybe they are Just Wrong.
I definitely agree that LW’s structure encourages participation (I have rarely contributed to OB) and the to and fro of comments gives valuable information on what/who people are in this “rationalist community” and where you stand.
However “the first comment you encounter is going to be something highly intelligent” is sales-talk and highly ridiculous. The first coment you encounter is just as likely to be runaway conformity. I would suggest that the pressure to conform is high and much of the intelligence is being used to signal logical dexterity on things with very little practical benefit.
It is my impression that LW is a tight community with little tolerance for what falls outside Eliezers definition of rationality and how rational people express themselves. I do not think this description will be accepted by Eliezer or the other contributors (and it would never be one of the first comments you met on a thread) but maybe they are Just Wrong.