At first I saw this and I was like “meh”. But now, looking back, I feel like I could not be more thrilled with how much of a social catalyst LW has been for me.
In ascending order of importance...
...After writing “A Critique of Leverage Research’s Connection Theory”, Geoff Anders reached out to Skype with me. It was cool to meet him, and this eventually turned into me stopping by Leverage House for a day. Not much came out of that, but it was cool.
...After cross-posting “Why Don’t People Help Others More?” on LW, I was reached out via PM by Giving What We Can. They had started a new blog and wanted to know if I’d be a volunteer writer. I said yes. Based on large part by this remote volunteering, I received a summer internship with them, where I met numerous important contacts in my life. This all started from one post on LW.
...After cross-posting “Initial Thoughts on Personally Finding a High-Impact Career”, I received a lot of useful advice. But I also received a PM from a user who offered to mentor me in learning programming. Later on, through his help and advice, I’ve received a job in his company that I will start this summer after graduating. I went from unexperienced programmer to job-haver all because of him, and, by extension, LW. I’d very likely be working in a worse career if not for LW.
Mr. Hurford, I know you’re a prominent writer within the effective altruist community, among other things (e.g., producing software, and open-source web, products, through running .impact). As someone who initially encountered effective altruism, and then Less Wrong, do you have a perspective on how, or how much, Less Wrong has amplified the success of effective altruism as a social movement within the last couple of years?
do you have a perspective on how, or how much, Less Wrong has amplified the success of effective altruism as a social movement within the last couple of years?
Not really. It seems quite clear that LW has definitely amplified the California EA community around things like existential risk reduction, Friendly AI, cryonics, anti-aging, etc. And it’s certainly helped build a community. But other things like Peter Singer, GiveWell, and CEA were necessary for creating and maintaining an EA movement.
At first I saw this and I was like “meh”. But now, looking back, I feel like I could not be more thrilled with how much of a social catalyst LW has been for me.
In ascending order of importance...
...After writing “A Critique of Leverage Research’s Connection Theory”, Geoff Anders reached out to Skype with me. It was cool to meet him, and this eventually turned into me stopping by Leverage House for a day. Not much came out of that, but it was cool.
...After cross-posting “Why Don’t People Help Others More?” on LW, I was reached out via PM by Giving What We Can. They had started a new blog and wanted to know if I’d be a volunteer writer. I said yes. Based on large part by this remote volunteering, I received a summer internship with them, where I met numerous important contacts in my life. This all started from one post on LW.
...After cross-posting “Initial Thoughts on Personally Finding a High-Impact Career”, I received a lot of useful advice. But I also received a PM from a user who offered to mentor me in learning programming. Later on, through his help and advice, I’ve received a job in his company that I will start this summer after graduating. I went from unexperienced programmer to job-haver all because of him, and, by extension, LW. I’d very likely be working in a worse career if not for LW.
Mr. Hurford, I know you’re a prominent writer within the effective altruist community, among other things (e.g., producing software, and open-source web, products, through running .impact). As someone who initially encountered effective altruism, and then Less Wrong, do you have a perspective on how, or how much, Less Wrong has amplified the success of effective altruism as a social movement within the last couple of years?
Actually for me, it was the reverse, I encountered LessWrong and then later “effective altruism”.
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Not really. It seems quite clear that LW has definitely amplified the California EA community around things like existential risk reduction, Friendly AI, cryonics, anti-aging, etc. And it’s certainly helped build a community. But other things like Peter Singer, GiveWell, and CEA were necessary for creating and maintaining an EA movement.