Because the alternatives are having it in the discussion section, or having draconian rules about what exactly counts as on topic and somehow punishing violators.
I don’t think you understand why I don’t like the idea of LW becoming a forum. LessWrong is less a collection of cool people than it is a particular niche in online discussion. By changing that niche, you change the demographics, and probably increase the raw number of participants. Besides this reducing the signal to noise ratio, you are relying on the core seed group to step up their gardening, something I see very little evidence might actually happen. You also implicitly rely on them not changing their standards and expectations. People generally behave differently in different on-line venues.
Even putting these concerns aside, Karma systems have very different dynamics with different scales and the effects are nonlinear.
Because people quite like mild off-topicness if it’s otherwise interesting, and are not interested in exerting social pressure against it. Although that might be typical mind fallacy, I doubt it.
Unless it’s to blatant, in case we’re already doing exactly that with the karma system.
Until we have an official Off Topic section it is by necessity both.
And we need an OffTopic section… why?
Because the alternatives are having it in the discussion section, or having draconian rules about what exactly counts as on topic and somehow punishing violators.
We manage to do it with politics (which is a pretty far sprawling topic). Why not with subjects that are considered off topic.
Why in the world would someone want to leave the possibility open of LW growing into another, much smaller, more sucky reddit?
Because of the possibility of LW growing into another, smaller, much better reddit.
I don’t think you understand why I don’t like the idea of LW becoming a forum. LessWrong is less a collection of cool people than it is a particular niche in online discussion. By changing that niche, you change the demographics, and probably increase the raw number of participants. Besides this reducing the signal to noise ratio, you are relying on the core seed group to step up their gardening, something I see very little evidence might actually happen. You also implicitly rely on them not changing their standards and expectations. People generally behave differently in different on-line venues.
Even putting these concerns aside, Karma systems have very different dynamics with different scales and the effects are nonlinear.
That hadn’t occurred to me. Upon consideration, you’re probably right.
I think we’re coming from to different angles for it to be worth figuring the mess out over such a minor issue.
Why can’t we have weak rules about what exactly counts as on topic, and punish violators through mild social pressure?
Because people quite like mild off-topicness if it’s otherwise interesting, and are not interested in exerting social pressure against it. Although that might be typical mind fallacy, I doubt it.
Unless it’s to blatant, in case we’re already doing exactly that with the karma system.