So I disagree with most of this criticism, but this seems like a really weak argument. This essentially says that cultural taboos should override discussion on issues of instrumental rationality. Yet at the same time, many supporters and people involved with the the SIAI (including Eliezer) argue that their success is one of the most important things on the planet right now. If one takes that claim seriously, then breaking a culturally contingent taboo seems like a small price to pay for that success.
all reflect more poorly on the rest of us than a somewhat out of the ordinary dating profile
Reflects more poorly in what way and has what predicted result? Do you think it will make people less likely to read LW? Do you think it will make people likely to leave LW?
It’s not really a discussion of rationality, it’s a discussion of the impact of a dating profile. I don’t believe that this issue will really influence us one way or another, and scrutinizing over the personal life of one of the community’s founding members out of paranoia for our public image can only help to reinforce the “cultish” signals we seem to give off.
I think we’ve already broken so many taboos that it doesn’t really matter if we break a few more, but this post defies cultural norms to rectify the breaking of cultural norms (not that anyone from outside LessWrong is gonna see this post).
On an unrelated note, I find it interesting that even a community as contrarian as this one still internalizes certain social expectations. The comments on this post seem to convey a common reaction of outrage, revulsion, and paranoia from the perceived invasion of privacy. I’m pretty sure the disproportionate hostility of my comment mostly came from trying to milk that reaction for karma.
So I disagree with most of this criticism, but this seems like a really weak argument. This essentially says that cultural taboos should override discussion on issues of instrumental rationality. Yet at the same time, many supporters and people involved with the the SIAI (including Eliezer) argue that their success is one of the most important things on the planet right now. If one takes that claim seriously, then breaking a culturally contingent taboo seems like a small price to pay for that success.
Reflects more poorly in what way and has what predicted result? Do you think it will make people less likely to read LW? Do you think it will make people likely to leave LW?
It’s not really a discussion of rationality, it’s a discussion of the impact of a dating profile. I don’t believe that this issue will really influence us one way or another, and scrutinizing over the personal life of one of the community’s founding members out of paranoia for our public image can only help to reinforce the “cultish” signals we seem to give off.
I think we’ve already broken so many taboos that it doesn’t really matter if we break a few more, but this post defies cultural norms to rectify the breaking of cultural norms (not that anyone from outside LessWrong is gonna see this post).
On an unrelated note, I find it interesting that even a community as contrarian as this one still internalizes certain social expectations. The comments on this post seem to convey a common reaction of outrage, revulsion, and paranoia from the perceived invasion of privacy. I’m pretty sure the disproportionate hostility of my comment mostly came from trying to milk that reaction for karma.
Apparently, it worked.