I don’t know if it was intentional, but Eliezer’s decision to write a rationality fanfic as a brilliant gambit. Fanfic.net’s readers are overwhelming smart, young and female.
LW and OB have a lot to say about psychology and sociology, two fields where women are more interested then men. Perhaps we could reach out to those segments?
The meetups could also recruit women directly. Men don’t have to bring their girlfriends, a platonic female friend works too. Or you can hold the meetups in places where women are more likely to be present (think bookshops, not bars).
If you want more women at the Singularity Summit, we could make a survey for people did not attend. Ask why they didn’t come, and see if there’s a difference between men and women.
But the most important thing is to make sure the rationalist/trans-humanist community is a safe place for women. Keep an eye out for what Alicorn wants to reduce. Address concerns of sexism sensitively, instead of pulling a Dawkins. In general, LW’s treatment of women is better than other communities that pride themselves on being rational (e.g., atheist and Objectivist). Let’s keep it that way.
I don’t know if it was intentional, but Eliezer’s decision to write a rationality fanfic as a brilliant gambit. Fanfic.net’s readers are overwhelming smart, young and female.
LW and OB have a lot to say about psychology and sociology, two fields where women are more interested then men. Perhaps we could reach out to those segments?
The meetups could also recruit women directly. Men don’t have to bring their girlfriends, a platonic female friend works too. Or you can hold the meetups in places where women are more likely to be present (think bookshops, not bars).
If you want more women at the Singularity Summit, we could make a survey for people did not attend. Ask why they didn’t come, and see if there’s a difference between men and women.
But the most important thing is to make sure the rationalist/trans-humanist community is a safe place for women. Keep an eye out for what Alicorn wants to reduce. Address concerns of sexism sensitively, instead of pulling a Dawkins. In general, LW’s treatment of women is better than other communities that pride themselves on being rational (e.g., atheist and Objectivist). Let’s keep it that way.
The way I read your last paragraph is: “we should make lesswrong less rational, at least about gender issues, in order to better attract women”.