I think it’s a bad motive and one that leads towards less openness and honesty, but Ben Todd personally is being very open and honest about it, which is right and virtuous and says good things about him as a human being, and his intentions. I think this gives things like EA a chance at avoiding various traps that we’d otherwise fall into for sure—but it’s not a get-out-of-jail-free card.
I’m talking here about the linked post. The author’s first example shows the exact opposite of what she said she would show. She only gives one example of something that she called a pattern, so that’s one person saying they should consider dishonesty and another person doing the opposite.
If you think there’s a version of her argument that is not total crap, I suggest you write it or at least sketch it out.
Holding criticism to a higher standard than praise discourages people from calling out misrepresentations, which lowers the costs to liars of lying. I’d be surprised if Ben Todd were deliberately trying to clear a path for lies, but that’s the direction things like that point.
Another note I forgot to add: the first quote, about criticism, sounds like Ben Todd being extremely open and honest regarding his motives.
Well, yes.
I think it’s a bad motive and one that leads towards less openness and honesty, but Ben Todd personally is being very open and honest about it, which is right and virtuous and says good things about him as a human being, and his intentions. I think this gives things like EA a chance at avoiding various traps that we’d otherwise fall into for sure—but it’s not a get-out-of-jail-free card.
I’m talking here about the linked post. The author’s first example shows the exact opposite of what she said she would show. She only gives one example of something that she called a pattern, so that’s one person saying they should consider dishonesty and another person doing the opposite.
If you think there’s a version of her argument that is not total crap, I suggest you write it or at least sketch it out.
Holding criticism to a higher standard than praise discourages people from calling out misrepresentations, which lowers the costs to liars of lying. I’d be surprised if Ben Todd were deliberately trying to clear a path for lies, but that’s the direction things like that point.
Low quality praise is easily ignored without much effects. Low quality criticism on the other hand is more likely to have effects.
It’s worthwhile to go for quantity of praise while focusing on quality of criticism.