I mean, I have a deep and complicated view, and this is a deep and complicated view, and compressing down the combination of those into “agree” or “disagree” seems like it loses most of the detail. For someone coming to LW with very little context, this seems like a fine introduction to me. It generally seems like straightforward corollaries from “the map is not the territory”.
Does it seem to me like the generators of why I write what I write / how I understand what I read? Well… not that close, with the understanding that introspection is weak and often things can be seen more clearly from the outside. I’ll also note as an example that I did not sign on to Sabien’s Sins when it was originally posted.
Some specific comments:
I have a mixed view of 3 and 4, in that I think there’s a precision/cost tradeoff with being explicit or operationalizing beliefs. That said, I think the typical reader would benefit from moving in that direction, especially when writing online.
I think 5 is a fine description of ‘rationalist discourse between allies’. I think the caveat (i.e. the first sentence of the longer explanation) is important enough that it probably should have made it into the guideline, somehow.
I think 6 blends together a problem (jumping to conclusions) and a cure (maintaining at least two hypotheses). Not only will that cure not work especially well for everyone, it’s very easy to deploy gracelessly (“I do have two hypotheses, they’re either evil or stupid!”). Other cures, like being willing to ask “say more?”, seem like they might be equally useful.
I think 10 (and to a lesser extent, 7) seem like they’re probably directionally correct for many people, but are pointing at an important area with deep skill and saying “be careful” instead of being, like, actually reliable guidelines.
I mean, I have a deep and complicated view, and this is a deep and complicated view, and compressing down the combination of those into “agree” or “disagree” seems like it loses most of the detail. For someone coming to LW with very little context, this seems like a fine introduction to me. It generally seems like straightforward corollaries from “the map is not the territory”.
Does it seem to me like the generators of why I write what I write / how I understand what I read? Well… not that close, with the understanding that introspection is weak and often things can be seen more clearly from the outside. I’ll also note as an example that I did not sign on to Sabien’s Sins when it was originally posted.
Some specific comments:
I have a mixed view of 3 and 4, in that I think there’s a precision/cost tradeoff with being explicit or operationalizing beliefs. That said, I think the typical reader would benefit from moving in that direction, especially when writing online.
I think 5 is a fine description of ‘rationalist discourse between allies’. I think the caveat (i.e. the first sentence of the longer explanation) is important enough that it probably should have made it into the guideline, somehow.
I think 6 blends together a problem (jumping to conclusions) and a cure (maintaining at least two hypotheses). Not only will that cure not work especially well for everyone, it’s very easy to deploy gracelessly (“I do have two hypotheses, they’re either evil or stupid!”). Other cures, like being willing to ask “say more?”, seem like they might be equally useful.
I think 10 (and to a lesser extent, 7) seem like they’re probably directionally correct for many people, but are pointing at an important area with deep skill and saying “be careful” instead of being, like, actually reliable guidelines.