The same way you distinguish between someone who murders a person in order to steal their money and someone who kills a person in self defence: By evaluating on a case-by-case basis to the best of your ability. It’s not always easy, but it sure beats not bothering to make the distinction.
(In this case I think it’s quite obvious that Eugine Nier is the DefectBot and not Kaj_Sotala.)
Imagine the distance to the “cooperate” button is slightly higher than the “defect” button. Someone who can’t reach the cooperate button might not mean any harm. But from your point of view, they might as well be a defectbot.
The same way you distinguish between someone who murders a person in order to steal their money and someone who kills a person in self defence: By evaluating on a case-by-case basis to the best of your ability. It’s not always easy, but it sure beats not bothering to make the distinction.
(In this case I think it’s quite obvious that Eugine Nier is the DefectBot and not Kaj_Sotala.)
And it wasn’t the people Eugine Nier was downvoting?
No, it wasn’t. Do you have any reason to think it was?
Well Eugine seemed to think so.
He seemed to think they were not rational enough to participate on this site. That’s not the same as being a DefectBot.
Imagine the distance to the “cooperate” button is slightly higher than the “defect” button. Someone who can’t reach the cooperate button might not mean any harm. But from your point of view, they might as well be a defectbot.