Aaron, I currently place you in the category of “unconstructive critic of SI” (there are constructive critics). Unlike some unconstructive critics, I think you’re capable of more, but I’m finding it a little hard to pin down what your criticisms are, even though you’ve now made three top-level posts and every one of them has contained some criticism of SI or Eliezer for not being fully rational.
Something else that they have in common is that none of them just says “SI is doing this wrong”. The current post says “Here is my cynical explanation for why SI is doing this thing that I say is wrong”. (Robin Hanson sometimes does this—introduces a new idea, then jumps to “cynical” conclusions about humanity because they haven’t already thought of the idea and adopted it—and it’s very annoying.) The other two posts introduce the criticisms in the guise of offering general advice on how to be rational: “Here is a rationality mistake that people make; by coincidence, my major example involves the founder of the rationality website where I’m posting this advice.”
I suggest, first of all, that if your objective on this site is to give advice about how to be rational, then you need to find a broader range of examples. People here respect Eliezer, for very good reasons. If you do want to make a concentrated critique of how he has lived his life, then make a post about that, don’t disguise it as a series of generic reflections on rationality which just happen to be all about him.
Personally I would be much more interested in what you have to say about the issue of AI. Do you even think AI is a threat to the human race? If so, what do you think we should do about it?
Aaron, I currently place you in the category of “unconstructive critic of SI” (there are constructive critics). Unlike some unconstructive critics, I think you’re capable of more, but I’m finding it a little hard to pin down what your criticisms are, even though you’ve now made three top-level posts and every one of them has contained some criticism of SI or Eliezer for not being fully rational.
Something else that they have in common is that none of them just says “SI is doing this wrong”. The current post says “Here is my cynical explanation for why SI is doing this thing that I say is wrong”. (Robin Hanson sometimes does this—introduces a new idea, then jumps to “cynical” conclusions about humanity because they haven’t already thought of the idea and adopted it—and it’s very annoying.) The other two posts introduce the criticisms in the guise of offering general advice on how to be rational: “Here is a rationality mistake that people make; by coincidence, my major example involves the founder of the rationality website where I’m posting this advice.”
I suggest, first of all, that if your objective on this site is to give advice about how to be rational, then you need to find a broader range of examples. People here respect Eliezer, for very good reasons. If you do want to make a concentrated critique of how he has lived his life, then make a post about that, don’t disguise it as a series of generic reflections on rationality which just happen to be all about him.
Personally I would be much more interested in what you have to say about the issue of AI. Do you even think AI is a threat to the human race? If so, what do you think we should do about it?