Even the LessWronger, trained to spot and avoid biases, still makes the same errors as everyone else, even while consciously thinking about these biases. After 3 years of LessWrong, I don’t see evidence that we’re getting less wrong.
I hate to agree with you, but this is actually a valid point. While this site has, on average, a far more civil discourse than your run-of-the-mill internet forum, I am not convinced that the rationality level has perceptibly increased over the years, judging from the comment threads then and now. Even the site’s most prominent and respected contributors occasionally succumb to the standard cognitive biases, as has been pointed out. Apparently the phenomenon of “flash downvoting” in response to a post or comment people dislike is also not imagined.
I wish there were a simple cognitive bias detection algorithm or checklist that a conscientious LWer could employ before posting. Or maybe there is one and I am not aware of it.
I am not convinced that the rationality level has perceptibly increased over the years, judging from the comment threads then and now
My estimation is a decrease, mostly due to dilution of the seed polulation from Eliezer-era OvercomingBias. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Remaining a bastion of the already reasonably rational wouldn’t have made lesswrong particularly useful. I’m willing to put up with a somewhat lower standard if it benefits others.
I hate to agree with you, but this is actually a valid point. While this site has, on average, a far more civil discourse than your run-of-the-mill internet forum, I am not convinced that the rationality level has perceptibly increased over the years, judging from the comment threads then and now. Even the site’s most prominent and respected contributors occasionally succumb to the standard cognitive biases, as has been pointed out. Apparently the phenomenon of “flash downvoting” in response to a post or comment people dislike is also not imagined.
I wish there were a simple cognitive bias detection algorithm or checklist that a conscientious LWer could employ before posting. Or maybe there is one and I am not aware of it.
My estimation is a decrease, mostly due to dilution of the seed polulation from Eliezer-era OvercomingBias. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Remaining a bastion of the already reasonably rational wouldn’t have made lesswrong particularly useful. I’m willing to put up with a somewhat lower standard if it benefits others.
My impression is that the level went up and then down:
OB-era comment threads were bad.
During the first year of LW the posts were good.
Nowadays the posts are bad again.