Your Othello Reversi example is fundamentally flawed, but it may not seem like it unless you realize that at LW the tradition is to say that utility is linear in paperclips to Clippy. That may be our fault, but there’s your explanation. “Winning 60-0”, to us using our jargon, is equivalent to one paperclip, not 60. And “winning 33-31″ is also equivalent to one paperclip, not 33. (or they’re both equivalent to x paperclips, whatever)
So when I read your example, I read it as “80% chance of 1 paperclip, or 90% chance of 1 paperclip”.
I’m sure it’s very irritating to have your statement miscommunicated because of a jargon difference (paperclip = utility rather than f(paperclip) = utility)! I encourage you to post anyway, and begin with the assumption that we misunderstand you rather than the assumption that we are “fake rationalists”, but realize that in the current environment (unfortunately or not, but there it is) the burden of communication is on the poster.
Your Othello Reversi example is fundamentally flawed, but it may not seem like it unless you realize that at LW the tradition is to say that utility is linear in paperclips to Clippy. That may be our fault, but there’s your explanation. “Winning 60-0”, to us using our jargon, is equivalent to one paperclip, not 60. And “winning 33-31″ is also equivalent to one paperclip, not 33. (or they’re both equivalent to x paperclips, whatever)
So when I read your example, I read it as “80% chance of 1 paperclip, or 90% chance of 1 paperclip”.
I’m sure it’s very irritating to have your statement miscommunicated because of a jargon difference (paperclip = utility rather than f(paperclip) = utility)! I encourage you to post anyway, and begin with the assumption that we misunderstand you rather than the assumption that we are “fake rationalists”, but realize that in the current environment (unfortunately or not, but there it is) the burden of communication is on the poster.