If you are who I think you are, then you have a PhD in computer science, which indicates that you are probably fairly intellectually elite. If you have found engaging on LW to be generally frustrating, then your input on the matter may be helpful.
I have a similar experience (though I sure comment on different areas) and impressions… I find it that this place is of questionable end-use-value as a general interest forum due to the founder effect of an extremely specific goal and worldview brought by its initial members, homogeneity of culture and goals and life experience on the part of its higher-ups, and a very strong set of shared assumptions about how the world works which is often founded more in pleasing fiction and ideology than actually trying to figure out reality.
In other words, the exact same thing as any web forum made up of humans. With the exception that it is often much much more (annoyingly) self-important than most due to the subset who honestly in seriousness somehow believe their small subset of upright talking monkeys are saving the universe. Can definitely be a fun and occasionally useful place but it sure ain’t the most useful thing in the world and I honestly have no idea how anyone could possibly get that thought. Nothing special, move along (unless you happen to enjoy it).
On the other hand my technical explanations of stuff tend to go over with fewer hitches here than in other electronic spots, and when they do have hitches they have a greater tendency to come from extreme familiarity with a technical context vastly different than the context I come from which leads to misleading inferences.
Thanks for replying. What you described fit my superficial impressions as well, but since I have not been an LW member for very long, I do not want to judge too hastily.
I don’t know what an ‘elite’ is, but I try to engage here on narrow topics I know something about, and find it a generally frustrating experience.
If you are who I think you are, then you have a PhD in computer science, which indicates that you are probably fairly intellectually elite. If you have found engaging on LW to be generally frustrating, then your input on the matter may be helpful.
Ha! Well, I often engage here on broad topics I know little about, and still find it generally frustrating.
How so? I’m new here, so I am interested in hearing different viewpoints about this site.
I have a similar experience (though I sure comment on different areas) and impressions… I find it that this place is of questionable end-use-value as a general interest forum due to the founder effect of an extremely specific goal and worldview brought by its initial members, homogeneity of culture and goals and life experience on the part of its higher-ups, and a very strong set of shared assumptions about how the world works which is often founded more in pleasing fiction and ideology than actually trying to figure out reality.
In other words, the exact same thing as any web forum made up of humans. With the exception that it is often much much more (annoyingly) self-important than most due to the subset who honestly in seriousness somehow believe their small subset of upright talking monkeys are saving the universe. Can definitely be a fun and occasionally useful place but it sure ain’t the most useful thing in the world and I honestly have no idea how anyone could possibly get that thought. Nothing special, move along (unless you happen to enjoy it).
On the other hand my technical explanations of stuff tend to go over with fewer hitches here than in other electronic spots, and when they do have hitches they have a greater tendency to come from extreme familiarity with a technical context vastly different than the context I come from which leads to misleading inferences.
Thanks for replying. What you described fit my superficial impressions as well, but since I have not been an LW member for very long, I do not want to judge too hastily.