This is my sense as well, but this is in large part the core of the cultural disagreement, I think?
Like, back in the early 2000′s, there was a parkour community centered around a web forum, NCparkour.com. And there was a constant back-and-forth tension between:
a) have a big tent; bring in as many people as possible; gradually infect them with knowledge and discipline and the proper way of doing things
b) have standards; have boundaries; make clear what we’re here to do and do not be particularly welcoming or tolerant of people whose default way of being undermines that mission
My sense is that, if you’re an a-er, the above mentality seems like a CLEAR mistake, à la “why would you drive away someone who’s a mere two or three insights away from being a good and productive member of our culture??”
And if you’re a b-er, the above mentality is like, yep, two or three insights away from good is a vast and oft-insurmountable distance, people generally don’t change and even if they do we’re not going to be able to change them from the outside. Let’s not dilute our subculture by allowing in a bunch of “”voters”″ who don’t even understand what we’re trying to do, here (and will therefore ruin it).
My sense is that LessWrong has historically been closer to a than to b, though not so close to a that, as a b-er, I feel like it’s shooting itself in the foot. More like, just failing to be the shining city on the hill that it could be.
(Also, more of a side note, but: the quoted text is not from J.K. Rowling.)
This is my sense as well, but this is in large part the core of the cultural disagreement, I think?
Like, back in the early 2000′s, there was a parkour community centered around a web forum, NCparkour.com. And there was a constant back-and-forth tension between:
a) have a big tent; bring in as many people as possible; gradually infect them with knowledge and discipline and the proper way of doing things
b) have standards; have boundaries; make clear what we’re here to do and do not be particularly welcoming or tolerant of people whose default way of being undermines that mission
My sense is that, if you’re an a-er, the above mentality seems like a CLEAR mistake, à la “why would you drive away someone who’s a mere two or three insights away from being a good and productive member of our culture??”
And if you’re a b-er, the above mentality is like, yep, two or three insights away from good is a vast and oft-insurmountable distance, people generally don’t change and even if they do we’re not going to be able to change them from the outside. Let’s not dilute our subculture by allowing in a bunch of “”voters”″ who don’t even understand what we’re trying to do, here (and will therefore ruin it).
My sense is that LessWrong has historically been closer to a than to b, though not so close to a that, as a b-er, I feel like it’s shooting itself in the foot. More like, just failing to be the shining city on the hill that it could be.
(Also, more of a side note, but: the quoted text is not from J.K. Rowling.)