Why do you prefer offline conversations to online?
Off the top of my head, I can name 3 advantages of online communication, which are quite important to LessWrong:
You don’t have to go anywhere. Since the LW community is distributed all over the world, it is really important; when you go to meetups, you can communicate only with people who happen to be in the same place as you, when you communicate online, you can communicate with everyone.
You have more time to think before reply, if you need to. For example, you can support your arguments with relevant research papers or data.
As you have noticed, online articles and discussions remain available on the site. You have proposed to write articles after offline events, but a) not everything will be covered by them and b) it requires additional effort.
Well, enjoy offline events if you like to; but the claim that people should always prefer offline activities over online activities is highly questionable, IMO.
Why do you prefer offline conversations to online?
They satisfy me emotionally on a level online conversations don’t. Something in my brain generates a feeling of “a tribe” more intensely.
An offline conversation has a potential to instigate other offline activities. (As an example of what really happened: going together to a gym and having a lecture on “rational” exercising.)
But I agree with what you wrote; online activities also have their advantages. It just seems to me we have too much online, too little offline (at least those who don’t live in the Bay Area).
Why do you prefer offline conversations to online?
Off the top of my head, I can name 3 advantages of online communication, which are quite important to LessWrong:
You don’t have to go anywhere. Since the LW community is distributed all over the world, it is really important; when you go to meetups, you can communicate only with people who happen to be in the same place as you, when you communicate online, you can communicate with everyone.
You have more time to think before reply, if you need to. For example, you can support your arguments with relevant research papers or data.
As you have noticed, online articles and discussions remain available on the site. You have proposed to write articles after offline events, but a) not everything will be covered by them and b) it requires additional effort.
Well, enjoy offline events if you like to; but the claim that people should always prefer offline activities over online activities is highly questionable, IMO.
They satisfy me emotionally on a level online conversations don’t. Something in my brain generates a feeling of “a tribe” more intensely.
An offline conversation has a potential to instigate other offline activities. (As an example of what really happened: going together to a gym and having a lecture on “rational” exercising.)
But I agree with what you wrote; online activities also have their advantages. It just seems to me we have too much online, too little offline (at least those who don’t live in the Bay Area).
Offline conversations are higher bandwidth. And not just because they are lower latency.