Why do you think this should be prevented? “Accept this life-cycle as a reality” seems like a reasonable approach. The “old members” can keep their identity if it’s really tied to hardcore-X. Or they can sit on their porches and grumble about kids these days :-)
For example, if the LessWrong website becomes boring and people move somewhere else, they will again have to design the web page, implement technical features, etc. Even more resources lost if the same thing would happen with MIRI or CFAR. Not only the money and work would be lost, but also prestige and contacts; some useful people would probably be left behind...
There are more options than just “go away a start again” or “grumble”. But these two are the easiest options, which is why people have to choose between them if they are not strategic.
In a fluid and dynamic system the fact that something was useful a couple of years ago does not mean that it’s still useful now. Your “waste of resources” is re-confirmation that X is still useful and can draw people, otherwise it’s deadwood and should be discarded to die in a fire.
Why do you think this should be prevented? “Accept this life-cycle as a reality” seems like a reasonable approach. The “old members” can keep their identity if it’s really tied to hardcore-X. Or they can sit on their porches and grumble about kids these days :-)
It’s a waste of resources.
For example, if the LessWrong website becomes boring and people move somewhere else, they will again have to design the web page, implement technical features, etc. Even more resources lost if the same thing would happen with MIRI or CFAR. Not only the money and work would be lost, but also prestige and contacts; some useful people would probably be left behind...
There are more options than just “go away a start again” or “grumble”. But these two are the easiest options, which is why people have to choose between them if they are not strategic.
Only from the central-planning point of view.
In a fluid and dynamic system the fact that something was useful a couple of years ago does not mean that it’s still useful now. Your “waste of resources” is re-confirmation that X is still useful and can draw people, otherwise it’s deadwood and should be discarded to die in a fire.