I don’t think choosing a convenient name for our community is wise. Doing so strengthens the separation between us and other communities, and brings along a lot of tribal instincts that we’d be better off without.
So “Less Wrong reader” will do fine. It works better in conversation, too: if you ask someone whether they’re a rationalist, and they aren’t, then they won’t know what you’re talking about; if you ask someone whether they’re a Less Wrong reader, and they aren’t, they’ll at least know what you mean, and might visit the site later.
One advantage of using something unique to our community, like cartographer, is that it doesn’t have any pre-formed associations in epistemology or science. If we use it consistently and well, there is always a chance it will catch on more broadly.
To counteract the inclusiveness it might bring (e.g. Rattlers vs. Eagles at RobbersCave), we can make an effort to honorarily induct others doing good work. Greg Mankiw did a good job marketing the Pigou Club by identifying those with similar views to him.
If we carry on as we seem to have begun, Less Wrong will be to rationalism as the Royal Society was to Natural Philosophy. “Less Wrong reader” will sound like “Fellow of the Royal Society”. Not a bad epithet, I think.
I don’t think choosing a convenient name for our community is wise. Doing so strengthens the separation between us and other communities, and brings along a lot of tribal instincts that we’d be better off without.
So “Less Wrong reader” will do fine. It works better in conversation, too: if you ask someone whether they’re a rationalist, and they aren’t, then they won’t know what you’re talking about; if you ask someone whether they’re a Less Wrong reader, and they aren’t, they’ll at least know what you mean, and might visit the site later.
One advantage of using something unique to our community, like cartographer, is that it doesn’t have any pre-formed associations in epistemology or science. If we use it consistently and well, there is always a chance it will catch on more broadly.
To counteract the inclusiveness it might bring (e.g. Rattlers vs. Eagles at Robbers Cave), we can make an effort to honorarily induct others doing good work. Greg Mankiw did a good job marketing the Pigou Club by identifying those with similar views to him.
If we carry on as we seem to have begun, Less Wrong will be to rationalism as the Royal Society was to Natural Philosophy. “Less Wrong reader” will sound like “Fellow of the Royal Society”. Not a bad epithet, I think.