I strongly agree, and lay the blame in part on Eliezer’s innate bombast, and in part on karma.
While karma is probably, on balance, a desirable effect, it’s also one hell of a catalyst for the halo effect. “I agree with this post/comment”, “This post/comment took a lot of work” and especially “It made me feel good” all mix into a sugary sauce of equal reward whether you provide a high-value contribution or whether you just titillate the right psychological zones.
That said, I don’t think this post is a very bad one—it provides some solid arguments for its thesis, and it wouldn’t be its fault if LessWrongers jumped on that +1 button on sheer self-congratulatory reflex.
I don’t blame people for upvoting things that make them feel good, and this post is indeed well written. I just don’t like this attitude I’ve seen over and over again. Flattery is pleasant, just don’t take it too seriously.
I strongly agree, and lay the blame in part on Eliezer’s innate bombast, and in part on karma.
While karma is probably, on balance, a desirable effect, it’s also one hell of a catalyst for the halo effect. “I agree with this post/comment”, “This post/comment took a lot of work” and especially “It made me feel good” all mix into a sugary sauce of equal reward whether you provide a high-value contribution or whether you just titillate the right psychological zones.
That said, I don’t think this post is a very bad one—it provides some solid arguments for its thesis, and it wouldn’t be its fault if LessWrongers jumped on that +1 button on sheer self-congratulatory reflex.
I don’t blame people for upvoting things that make them feel good, and this post is indeed well written. I just don’t like this attitude I’ve seen over and over again. Flattery is pleasant, just don’t take it too seriously.