As you’ve noticed in that thread, I didn’t cry that Lumifer offended me. I replied to his comment and we ended up having a semi-productive discussion on empathy, coercion and unintended consequences. If bringing that specific example up reads as concern trolling on my part, I apologize.
I wanted to make a more general point: I do recognize that there’s a trade off to be made between criticism and niceness, both of which are needed for a good discussion. I’m also OK if you think LW is too nice and the comments should be harsher. The directness of criticism is one of my favorite things about LW, along with overall commitment to free speech. But I also care about practical outcomes on discussion quality, not abstract ideology.
I think that there’s an important distinction between the following two positions:
“I made a blunt comment because I judged that criticism is more important than niceness in this specific case.”
“I made a blunt comment and niceness is not my concern at all, because other people are free to ignore me.”
I think that an environment where people hold #1 produces better discussion. And unless I’m corrected, it seems like Lumifer espouses #2.
As you’ve noticed in that thread, I didn’t cry that Lumifer offended me. I replied to his comment and we ended up having a semi-productive discussion on empathy, coercion and unintended consequences.
Yes I did notice. That is why that particular exchange was a great example of how one need neither ignore nor be discouraged by a comment like Lumifer’s kulak comment; instead, allow the comment to engender a useful dialog.
I’m also OK if you think LW is too nice and the comments should be harsher.
No, I don’t think that. I really like the quality of the comments on LW, that is why I come here. However, I think that Lumifer’s comments are within the range of LW community norms. One thing I like about LW is that there exists a diversity of commenting styles just as it has a diversity of viewpoints on various subjects. An example of another high-karma commentator with a style (and opinions) that are quite different from Lumifer’s is gjm. IMO both commentators make thoughtful, valuable contributions to LW, albeit their styles are quite different; I think that LW benefits from both commentators’ styles and opinions, and the distinct styles and opinions of many others as well. Note that I am in favor of community norms, but I feel that Lumifer’s comments are within those norms.
I think that there’s an important distinction between the following two positions… And unless I’m corrected, it seems like Lumifer espouses #2
IMO, Lumifer is not in category 2. Using the kulak comment again as an illustrative example, it seems to me that the comment was in no way a personal attack on you or anyone else and was not what I would classify as “not nice”. It seems to me that the specific examples he chose did bring clarity to the discussion in a way that voicing an abstract objection or a less extreme example would not have. IMO Stalin’s dekulakization (which is I suppose what Lumifer was referring to) really is the sort of thing that can happen more easily when an idealized (albeit flawed) utilitarian goal is pursued in the absence of emotional empathy. In short, I suspect that the examples were selected because they effectively made the point that Lumifer intended to make rather than because Lumifer was trying to offend or troll.
As you’ve noticed in that thread, I didn’t cry that Lumifer offended me. I replied to his comment and we ended up having a semi-productive discussion on empathy, coercion and unintended consequences. If bringing that specific example up reads as concern trolling on my part, I apologize.
I wanted to make a more general point: I do recognize that there’s a trade off to be made between criticism and niceness, both of which are needed for a good discussion. I’m also OK if you think LW is too nice and the comments should be harsher. The directness of criticism is one of my favorite things about LW, along with overall commitment to free speech. But I also care about practical outcomes on discussion quality, not abstract ideology.
I think that there’s an important distinction between the following two positions:
“I made a blunt comment because I judged that criticism is more important than niceness in this specific case.”
“I made a blunt comment and niceness is not my concern at all, because other people are free to ignore me.”
I think that an environment where people hold #1 produces better discussion. And unless I’m corrected, it seems like Lumifer espouses #2.
Yes I did notice. That is why that particular exchange was a great example of how one need neither ignore nor be discouraged by a comment like Lumifer’s kulak comment; instead, allow the comment to engender a useful dialog.
No, I don’t think that. I really like the quality of the comments on LW, that is why I come here. However, I think that Lumifer’s comments are within the range of LW community norms. One thing I like about LW is that there exists a diversity of commenting styles just as it has a diversity of viewpoints on various subjects. An example of another high-karma commentator with a style (and opinions) that are quite different from Lumifer’s is gjm. IMO both commentators make thoughtful, valuable contributions to LW, albeit their styles are quite different; I think that LW benefits from both commentators’ styles and opinions, and the distinct styles and opinions of many others as well. Note that I am in favor of community norms, but I feel that Lumifer’s comments are within those norms.
IMO, Lumifer is not in category 2. Using the kulak comment again as an illustrative example, it seems to me that the comment was in no way a personal attack on you or anyone else and was not what I would classify as “not nice”. It seems to me that the specific examples he chose did bring clarity to the discussion in a way that voicing an abstract objection or a less extreme example would not have. IMO Stalin’s dekulakization (which is I suppose what Lumifer was referring to) really is the sort of thing that can happen more easily when an idealized (albeit flawed) utilitarian goal is pursued in the absence of emotional empathy. In short, I suspect that the examples were selected because they effectively made the point that Lumifer intended to make rather than because Lumifer was trying to offend or troll.