I imagine an explanation that gets progressively longer. One-paragraph summary. One-screen explanation. One article containing the gist of the Sequences (with links to Read the Sequences), a brief history of the rationalist movement, frequently used concepts (with links to explanations), maybe a list of frequent myths.
Short answer: I think there should be more than one of them, but the pinned Open Thread are pretty good when combined with the New Users Guide and the Sequence Highlights.
There’s an interesting problem in that the people who most need the entry level information are the people who least know how to find it, and the least likely to be used to whatever idiom the information is in. “Look in the archives for the last time we discussed this issue” is a lovely theory, but finding something new in the archives of a new place is harder than the locals think it is. Because of this issue, I think every point where someone new might show up (comments on a post, an ACX Everywhere meetup, in the replies to one of Yudkowsky’s tweets, etc) would ideally be able to point the newcomer to a back and forth with someone patient and interested in helping. To be clear, that’s a find wish of my heart, not something I think is practical to pull off.
Personally I spend more time and energy on the in-person meetups than I do for online spaces. In that context, making these spaces means having meetups that discuss things I’m already pretty sure the regulars know. I try to come up with ways to make going over the basics again interesting and work for multiple knowledge levels, but at least any topic that hasn’t had a meetup in the last year is a topic I shouldn’t try to build on. I make myself obvious and visible as the organizer and try to notice when someone is new or looks confused. Most of my meetups are Rationality 101 spaces, and that’s a deliberate tradeoff I make knowing that there’s other organizers in my city who can try to push a bit deeper.
Then again, I’m also the guy who wrote Write A Thousand Roads To Rome. If someone says they prefer youtube videos, I point them at Robert Miles and Rational Animations. If someone says they prefer spicy blog posts I point them at specific SlateStarCodex posts. If someone says they want to talk to someone in person, I try and point them at a meetup near them especially if I know the organizer.
Like I said, I think the Open Thread is a good 80⁄20 on the problem. The thesis of this post isn’t that I think Less Wrong is doing unusually badly here, it’s pointing out that we never get to declare victory and stop answering the beginner questions.
What do you think the 101 space should look like for Less Wrong?
I imagine an explanation that gets progressively longer. One-paragraph summary. One-screen explanation. One article containing the gist of the Sequences (with links to Read the Sequences), a brief history of the rationalist movement, frequently used concepts (with links to explanations), maybe a list of frequent myths.
Technically, all three could be at the same URL.
Upvoting for the multiple levels of summarization. Feels respectful of readers’ attention too.
Wasn’t this tried with Arbital?
The general principle, yes. Not sure if there was an article specifically about the rationalist community.
Short answer: I think there should be more than one of them, but the pinned Open Thread are pretty good when combined with the New Users Guide and the Sequence Highlights.
There’s an interesting problem in that the people who most need the entry level information are the people who least know how to find it, and the least likely to be used to whatever idiom the information is in. “Look in the archives for the last time we discussed this issue” is a lovely theory, but finding something new in the archives of a new place is harder than the locals think it is. Because of this issue, I think every point where someone new might show up (comments on a post, an ACX Everywhere meetup, in the replies to one of Yudkowsky’s tweets, etc) would ideally be able to point the newcomer to a back and forth with someone patient and interested in helping. To be clear, that’s a find wish of my heart, not something I think is practical to pull off.
Personally I spend more time and energy on the in-person meetups than I do for online spaces. In that context, making these spaces means having meetups that discuss things I’m already pretty sure the regulars know. I try to come up with ways to make going over the basics again interesting and work for multiple knowledge levels, but at least any topic that hasn’t had a meetup in the last year is a topic I shouldn’t try to build on. I make myself obvious and visible as the organizer and try to notice when someone is new or looks confused. Most of my meetups are Rationality 101 spaces, and that’s a deliberate tradeoff I make knowing that there’s other organizers in my city who can try to push a bit deeper.
Then again, I’m also the guy who wrote Write A Thousand Roads To Rome. If someone says they prefer youtube videos, I point them at Robert Miles and Rational Animations. If someone says they prefer spicy blog posts I point them at specific SlateStarCodex posts. If someone says they want to talk to someone in person, I try and point them at a meetup near them especially if I know the organizer.
Like I said, I think the Open Thread is a good 80⁄20 on the problem. The thesis of this post isn’t that I think Less Wrong is doing unusually badly here, it’s pointing out that we never get to declare victory and stop answering the beginner questions.
Also, I think our Rationality Quotes threads (like this one) were pretty good for enculturation.
I miss those. When was the last quote thread anyway?
Kudos to the tag definitions. 2017 apparently, and it didn’t have much commenting. Wonder if a revival would work. . .
I think something like 2015?