I think 2, 3, and 8 are true but pretty easy to overcome. Just get someone knowledgeable to help you
4 (low demand for these essays) seems like a calibration question. Most writers probably would lose their audience if they wrote about it as often as Holden. But more than zero is probably ok. Scott Alexander seems to be following that rule, when he said that we was summarizing the 2021 MIRI conversations at a steady drip so as not to alienate the part of his audience that doesn’t want to see that
I think 6 (look weird) used to be true, but it’s not any more. It’s hard to know for sure without talking to Kelsey Piper or Ezra Klein, but I suspect they didn’t lose any status for their Vox/NYT statements
I think that you’re grossly underestimating the difficulty of developing and communicating a useful understanding, and the value and scarcity of expert time. I’m sure Kelsey or someone similar can get a couple of hours of time from one of the leading researchers to ensure they understand and aren’t miscommunicating, if they really wanted to call in a favor—but they can’t do it often, and most bloggers can’t do it at all.
Holden has the advantage of deep engagement in the issues as part of his job, working directly with tons of people who are involved in the research, and getting to have conversations as a funder—none of which are true for most writers.
I think 2, 3, and 8 are true but pretty easy to overcome. Just get someone knowledgeable to help you
4 (low demand for these essays) seems like a calibration question. Most writers probably would lose their audience if they wrote about it as often as Holden. But more than zero is probably ok. Scott Alexander seems to be following that rule, when he said that we was summarizing the 2021 MIRI conversations at a steady drip so as not to alienate the part of his audience that doesn’t want to see that
I think 6 (look weird) used to be true, but it’s not any more. It’s hard to know for sure without talking to Kelsey Piper or Ezra Klein, but I suspect they didn’t lose any status for their Vox/NYT statements
I think that you’re grossly underestimating the difficulty of developing and communicating a useful understanding, and the value and scarcity of expert time. I’m sure Kelsey or someone similar can get a couple of hours of time from one of the leading researchers to ensure they understand and aren’t miscommunicating, if they really wanted to call in a favor—but they can’t do it often, and most bloggers can’t do it at all.
Holden has the advantage of deep engagement in the issues as part of his job, working directly with tons of people who are involved in the research, and getting to have conversations as a funder—none of which are true for most writers.