The karma system in itself is not what made this site interesting, not by a long stretch. While some very bad comments did make it through that now don’t, Overcoming Bias before the karma system had interesting discussions as well.
The karma system is a key feature of what made LW what it is, but it isn’t exceptional in this. Just as vital where the features of its demographics, the topics we chose, the norms and culture that developed. If any of those wash out LessWrong becomes nothing but a smaller suckier reddit.
I didn’t mean to state that was what you where saying but I was questioning why you seem so sure moderation is an inferior solution based on conversations on LessWrong sucking less. I pointed out that seems rather weak evidence since OB didn’t suck much more.
if LW gave me dictatorial powers i would have nuked this sub-thread a long time ago, and saved a lot of people productive time they could have devoted to more edifying intellectual pursuits.
also, as a moderate diss, i don’t delve deep into LW comments much anymore. but some of these remind now me of usenet in the 1990s. what i appreciate about the ‘rationality’ community in berkeley is that these are people who are interested in being smart, not seeming smart.
The karma system in itself is not what made this site interesting, not by a long stretch. While some very bad comments did make it through that now don’t, Overcoming Bias before the karma system had interesting discussions as well.
The karma system is a key feature of what made LW what it is, but it isn’t exceptional in this. Just as vital where the features of its demographics, the topics we chose, the norms and culture that developed. If any of those wash out LessWrong becomes nothing but a smaller suckier reddit.
That would indeed be a strange position for someone to take.
I didn’t mean to state that was what you where saying but I was questioning why you seem so sure moderation is an inferior solution based on conversations on LessWrong sucking less. I pointed out that seems rather weak evidence since OB didn’t suck much more.
if LW gave me dictatorial powers i would have nuked this sub-thread a long time ago, and saved a lot of people productive time they could have devoted to more edifying intellectual pursuits.
also, as a moderate diss, i don’t delve deep into LW comments much anymore. but some of these remind now me of usenet in the 1990s. what i appreciate about the ‘rationality’ community in berkeley is that these are people who are interested in being smart, not seeming smart.