If one thinks of LW not as the final destination to which intellectual elites should be attracted, but a useful and productive entry point for LW-associated organisations (whether formally affiliated or loosely linked) also including LW itself, it seems to me that things are largely on the right track. Judging from the welcome threads there seems to have been a great deal of success in recruiting young members especially, but not only, through HPMoR. And often there is a youthful feel to discussions here, quite appropriately as many young members are discovering a like-minded community for the first time and learning how one can move beyond Spock-rationality to something deeper—and establishing a reputation in the community at the same time.
But at the same time others seem to be slowly becoming more engaged in LW, or at least aware of it, thanks to the greater engagement of LW and LW-associated organisations with the more “mainstream”. From a different perspective the question might be, what does it gain an academic researcher with an existing reputation in the “mainstream” to participate here? And, is this something most LW members would want? After all LW has long had a strongly-defended reputation as an outsider organisation—would more involvement by “mainstream elite” take away those aspects of LW that make it what it is? As a “mainstream” academic myself I think this would be highly likely.
There also seems to be some kind of tension here—LW would like to attract more intellectual elites while at the same time MIRI is reducing efforts in the same direction MIRI 2013 strategy due to developments in the academic mainstream. Does this indirectly speak to the same issue?
And, is this something most LW members would want? After all LW has long had a strongly-defended reputation as an outsider organisation—would more involvement by “mainstream elite” take away those aspects of LW that make it what it is?
I don’t see much downside in being seen as becoming more mainstream. LW isn’t itself a mainstream academic organization, but it’s not like we’re all fundamentalist hipsters.
There also seems to be some kind of tension here—LW would like to attract more intellectual elites while at the same time MIRI is reducing efforts in the same direction MIRI 2013 strategy due to developments in the academic mainstream.
That’s not actually true. MIRI is putting less effort into grassroots movement-building, but is actually putting more effort into attracting people from the academic elite. The name change was partially motivated by the need to appeal to mainstream academics, and MIRI has been fairly successful at attracting academics with little or no prior exposure to LW to their logic research workshops.
If one thinks of LW not as the final destination to which intellectual elites should be attracted, but a useful and productive entry point for LW-associated organisations (whether formally affiliated or loosely linked) also including LW itself, it seems to me that things are largely on the right track. Judging from the welcome threads there seems to have been a great deal of success in recruiting young members especially, but not only, through HPMoR. And often there is a youthful feel to discussions here, quite appropriately as many young members are discovering a like-minded community for the first time and learning how one can move beyond Spock-rationality to something deeper—and establishing a reputation in the community at the same time.
But at the same time others seem to be slowly becoming more engaged in LW, or at least aware of it, thanks to the greater engagement of LW and LW-associated organisations with the more “mainstream”. From a different perspective the question might be, what does it gain an academic researcher with an existing reputation in the “mainstream” to participate here? And, is this something most LW members would want? After all LW has long had a strongly-defended reputation as an outsider organisation—would more involvement by “mainstream elite” take away those aspects of LW that make it what it is? As a “mainstream” academic myself I think this would be highly likely.
There also seems to be some kind of tension here—LW would like to attract more intellectual elites while at the same time MIRI is reducing efforts in the same direction MIRI 2013 strategy due to developments in the academic mainstream. Does this indirectly speak to the same issue?
I don’t see much downside in being seen as becoming more mainstream. LW isn’t itself a mainstream academic organization, but it’s not like we’re all fundamentalist hipsters.
That’s not actually true. MIRI is putting less effort into grassroots movement-building, but is actually putting more effort into attracting people from the academic elite. The name change was partially motivated by the need to appeal to mainstream academics, and MIRI has been fairly successful at attracting academics with little or no prior exposure to LW to their logic research workshops.