I agree. I would buy a lesswrong shirt or even one with the SIAI logo. I would prefer if the shirts were sold on/linked from the SIAI website though, so that lesswrong doesn’t seem/become commercial.
I have this bizarre preference that SIAI stuff be sold on the SIAI website and lesswrong stuff be sold on the lesswrong website so that the two maintain a healthy distance!
That makes sense (and is clearly a more popular opinion). What I was imagining didn’t seem much better along that dimension though. With the proceeds going to SIAI, and with a spot on lesswrong selling the items, it could be argued that “a healthy distance” isn’t being maintained. I’m having trouble verbalizing what seems wrong with that, and I don’t think it would be that big a deal, but it seems like in that case lesswrong just becomes a site that draws you in to sell you stuff for SIAI.
With the proceeds going to SIAI, and with a spot on lesswrong selling the items, it could be argued that “a healthy distance” isn’t being maintained. I’m having trouble verbalizing what seems wrong with that, and I don’t think it would be that big a deal, but it seems like in that case lesswrong just becomes a site that draws you in to sell you stuff for SIAI.
I can see that point. Using the small change from lesswrong products to fund lesswrong related things seems more appropriate.
I have this bizarre preference that SIAI stuff be sold on the SIAI website and lesswrong stuff be sold on the lesswrong website so that the two maintain a healthy distance!
That makes sense (and is clearly a more popular opinion). What I was imagining didn’t seem much better along that dimension though. With the proceeds going to SIAI, and with a spot on lesswrong selling the items, it could be argued that “a healthy distance” isn’t being maintained. I’m having trouble verbalizing what seems wrong with that, and I don’t think it would be that big a deal, but it seems like in that case lesswrong just becomes a site that draws you in to sell you stuff for SIAI.
I can see that point. Using the small change from lesswrong products to fund lesswrong related things seems more appropriate.
I agree completely.