Sorry, I’m not quite understanding your first paragraph. The subsequent piece, I agree completely with and think applies to a lot SI activities in principle (even if not looking for small donors). The same idea could roughly guide their outlook to “academic outreach”, except it’s a donation of time rather than money. For example, gaining credibility from a few big names is probably a bad idea, as is trying to play the game of seeking credibility.
On the first paragaph, apologies for repeating, but just clarifying: I’m assuming that everyone already should know that even if you’re sympathetic to SI goals, it’s a bad idea to donate to them. Maybe it was a useful article for the SI to better understand why people might feel that way. I’m just saying I don’t think it was strictly speaking “persuasive” to anyone. Except, I was initially somewhat persuaded that Karnofsky is worth listening to in evaluating SI. I’m just claiming, I guess, that I was way more persuaded that it was worth listening to Karnofsky on this topic than I should have been since I think everything he says is too obvious to imply shared values with me. So, in a few years, if he changes his mind on SI, I’ve now decided that I won’t weight that as very important in my own evaluation. I don’t mean that as a criticism of Karnofsky (his write-up was obviously fantastic). I’m just explicating my own thought process.
I don’t think it was strictly speaking “persuasive” to anyone
Just as a data point, I was rather greatly persuaded by Karnofsky’s argument here. As someone who reads LW more often for the cognitive science/philosophy stuff and not so much for the FAI/Singularity stuff, I did not have a very coherent opinion of the SI, particularly one that incorporated objective critiques (such as Karnofsky’s).
Furthermore, I certainly did not, as you assert, know that it is a bad idea to donate to the Singularity Institute. In fact, I had often heard the opposite here.
Thanks. That’s very interesting to me, even as an anecdote. I’ve heard the opposite here too; that’s why I made it a normative statement (“everyone already should know”). Between the missing money and the publication record, I can’t imagine what would make SI look worth investing in to me. Yes, that would sometimes lead you astray. But even posts like, oh:
http://lesswrong.com/lw/43m/optimal_employment/?sort=top
are pretty much the norm around here (I picked that since Luke helped write it). Basically, an insufficient attempt to engage with the conventional wisdom.
How much should you like this place just because they’re hardliners on issues you believe in? (generic you). There are lots of compatibilists, materialists, consequentialists, MWIers, or whatever in the world. Less Wrong seems unusual in being rather hardline on these issues, but that’s usually more a sign that people have turned it into a social issue than a matter of intellectual conviction (or better, competence). Anyway, probably I’ve become inappropriately off topic for this page; I’m just rambling. To say at least something on topic: A few months back there was an issue of Nature talking about philanthropy in science (cover article and a few other pieces as I recall); easily searchable I’m sure, and may have some relevance (both as SI tries to get money or “commission” pieces).
Sorry, I’m not quite understanding your first paragraph. The subsequent piece, I agree completely with and think applies to a lot SI activities in principle (even if not looking for small donors). The same idea could roughly guide their outlook to “academic outreach”, except it’s a donation of time rather than money. For example, gaining credibility from a few big names is probably a bad idea, as is trying to play the game of seeking credibility.
On the first paragaph, apologies for repeating, but just clarifying: I’m assuming that everyone already should know that even if you’re sympathetic to SI goals, it’s a bad idea to donate to them. Maybe it was a useful article for the SI to better understand why people might feel that way. I’m just saying I don’t think it was strictly speaking “persuasive” to anyone. Except, I was initially somewhat persuaded that Karnofsky is worth listening to in evaluating SI. I’m just claiming, I guess, that I was way more persuaded that it was worth listening to Karnofsky on this topic than I should have been since I think everything he says is too obvious to imply shared values with me. So, in a few years, if he changes his mind on SI, I’ve now decided that I won’t weight that as very important in my own evaluation. I don’t mean that as a criticism of Karnofsky (his write-up was obviously fantastic). I’m just explicating my own thought process.
I felt it was very persuasive.
Just as a data point, I was rather greatly persuaded by Karnofsky’s argument here. As someone who reads LW more often for the cognitive science/philosophy stuff and not so much for the FAI/Singularity stuff, I did not have a very coherent opinion of the SI, particularly one that incorporated objective critiques (such as Karnofsky’s).
Furthermore, I certainly did not, as you assert, know that it is a bad idea to donate to the Singularity Institute. In fact, I had often heard the opposite here.
Thanks. That’s very interesting to me, even as an anecdote. I’ve heard the opposite here too; that’s why I made it a normative statement (“everyone already should know”). Between the missing money and the publication record, I can’t imagine what would make SI look worth investing in to me. Yes, that would sometimes lead you astray. But even posts like, oh: http://lesswrong.com/lw/43m/optimal_employment/?sort=top
are pretty much the norm around here (I picked that since Luke helped write it). Basically, an insufficient attempt to engage with the conventional wisdom.
How much should you like this place just because they’re hardliners on issues you believe in? (generic you). There are lots of compatibilists, materialists, consequentialists, MWIers, or whatever in the world. Less Wrong seems unusual in being rather hardline on these issues, but that’s usually more a sign that people have turned it into a social issue than a matter of intellectual conviction (or better, competence). Anyway, probably I’ve become inappropriately off topic for this page; I’m just rambling. To say at least something on topic: A few months back there was an issue of Nature talking about philanthropy in science (cover article and a few other pieces as I recall); easily searchable I’m sure, and may have some relevance (both as SI tries to get money or “commission” pieces).