I enjoy candy. If someone gives me candy, that’s good. Even if I’m trying to learn French, and someone offers me candy rewards for reaching arbitrary milestones, that’s still good. Even if I’m somehow not aware that the milestones are arbitrary and that they don’t really help me learn French, it’s still good, because I’m getting candy, and I like candy. I would never call that “hijacking”. No, I’m exchanging a miniscule bit of French-ability for some candy. It’s a trade that satisfies my preferences. I have nothing even slightly negative to say about these candy-givers.
You, on the other hand, do use such harsh words as “hijack”, which suggests that there are some negative emotions related to the lotus. I’m only guessing that guilt might be the cause (this is “guilt” in the sense of “guilty pleasure”).
Also, you used the word “lotus” from the Odyssey, where it is not depicted in a very positive light. Was I not supposed to deduce anything from that choice of a name?
I think all you’re missing is words like “lotus” and “hijacked” have developed connotations on LessWrong which aren’t as harsh as the basic connotations of those words used outside the context of LW, and that it’s those connotations Val sought to bring to mind in his post, and not that of hijacking planes or the Odyssey.
I enjoy candy. If someone gives me candy, that’s good. Even if I’m trying to learn French, and someone offers me candy rewards for reaching arbitrary milestones, that’s still good. Even if I’m somehow not aware that the milestones are arbitrary and that they don’t really help me learn French, it’s still good, because I’m getting candy, and I like candy. I would never call that “hijacking”. No, I’m exchanging a miniscule bit of French-ability for some candy. It’s a trade that satisfies my preferences. I have nothing even slightly negative to say about these candy-givers.
You, on the other hand, do use such harsh words as “hijack”, which suggests that there are some negative emotions related to the lotus. I’m only guessing that guilt might be the cause (this is “guilt” in the sense of “guilty pleasure”).
Also, you used the word “lotus” from the Odyssey, where it is not depicted in a very positive light. Was I not supposed to deduce anything from that choice of a name?
I think all you’re missing is words like “lotus” and “hijacked” have developed connotations on LessWrong which aren’t as harsh as the basic connotations of those words used outside the context of LW, and that it’s those connotations Val sought to bring to mind in his post, and not that of hijacking planes or the Odyssey.
Oh. Can you give me some links to that?