Meta-discussion is also a horrible slime-dripping cancer on a forum
Meta-discussion has to occur on fora if fora are going to function. It may be that non-functioning fora have more meta-discussion, but there are obvious correlation v. causation issues.
Meta-discussion has to occur on fora if fora are going to function.
You have some evidence for this?
In this thread and the perfectly superfluous other thread you made for this topic, I have observed a tendency to state ex cathedra beliefs on the nature of communities and what mechanisms are necessary for their survival.
Only some personal experience and general intuition. I don’t think anyone, even Eliezer, is going to argue that zero meta discussion is optimal. The question then is how much is optimal. It is possible that a weaker version of my statement like starting it with “it seems that” might have been helpful.
In this thread and the perfectly superfluous other thread you made for this topic, I have observed a tendency to state ex cathedra beliefs on the nature of communities and what mechanisms are necessary for their survival.
I agree that there’s a fair bit of stated beliefs without much evidence all around, although I’m puzzled by your description of the other thread as superfluous.
I agreed with this as a general principle strongly enough to pay a 5 karma penalty to say so. I don’t think it should be as down voted as it is.
I can’t recall having ever participated in a forum or blog and have the pay offs of meta-discussion be higher than discussing something else. More problematically it is way too engaging than it should be and is an attention sink.
Meta-discussion is also a horrible slime-dripping cancer on a forum, so I’m okay with nobody ever seeing it again.
Meta-discussion has to occur on fora if fora are going to function. It may be that non-functioning fora have more meta-discussion, but there are obvious correlation v. causation issues.
You have some evidence for this?
In this thread and the perfectly superfluous other thread you made for this topic, I have observed a tendency to state ex cathedra beliefs on the nature of communities and what mechanisms are necessary for their survival.
Only some personal experience and general intuition. I don’t think anyone, even Eliezer, is going to argue that zero meta discussion is optimal. The question then is how much is optimal. It is possible that a weaker version of my statement like starting it with “it seems that” might have been helpful.
I agree that there’s a fair bit of stated beliefs without much evidence all around, although I’m puzzled by your description of the other thread as superfluous.
Do we have any reliable authorities on the sociology of internet forums yet?
I agreed with this as a general principle strongly enough to pay a 5 karma penalty to say so. I don’t think it should be as down voted as it is.
I can’t recall having ever participated in a forum or blog and have the pay offs of meta-discussion be higher than discussing something else. More problematically it is way too engaging than it should be and is an attention sink.
If you really believe meta-discussions are inappropriate, delete the parent comment.