I’d say our biggest issue lately is lack of direction. The classic topics are getting kinda old now, and we don’t really seem to be able to commit to any replacements. Anything in the sequences is pretty firmly established so nobody talks much about them anymore, and without them we kinda drift to things like the “rational” way to brush your teeth. If the site starts to feel watered down, I don’t think it’s because of new users, but because of shallow topics. Endless September is probably the biggest issue drawing us towards the mainstream.
People have theorized that the users who might post these discussions are too intimidated to post. Do you have additional theories, or do you think this is the problem, too?
I’m not really sure what the cause for this is, but I’d say that the above theory or general apathy on the part of some of the better contributors are the most likely.
How would you describe the problem? What would you suggest for ways to assess it?
Like I said before, the site’s starting to feel watered down. It seems like the fire that drew us here is beginning to die down. It’s probably just an effect of time letting the ideas settle in, but I still think we should be able to counter the problem if we’re all we’re cracked up to be.
I think it’s really good that Eliezer is writing a new sequence, but I don’t think he can support the community’s ambition all on his own anymore. We need something new. Something that gets us at least as excited as the old sequences. Something that gets us back in the mood to take on the universe, blind idiot god and all.
I think that a lot of us just sort of settled back into our mundane lives once the high from thinking about conquering the stars wore off. I think we should find a way to feel as strong as we did once we realized how much of man’s mind is malfunctioning and how powerful we would become if we could get past that. I really don’t know if we can recapture that spirit, but if it’s possible, then it shouldn’t be harder than figuring out FAI.
I’d say our biggest issue lately is lack of direction. The classic topics are getting kinda old now, and we don’t really seem to be able to commit to any replacements. Anything in the sequences is pretty firmly established so nobody talks much about them anymore, and without them we kinda drift to things like the “rational” way to brush your teeth. If the site starts to feel watered down, I don’t think it’s because of new users, but because of shallow topics. Endless September is probably the biggest issue drawing us towards the mainstream.
I’m not really sure what the cause for this is, but I’d say that the above theory or general apathy on the part of some of the better contributors are the most likely.
Like I said before, the site’s starting to feel watered down. It seems like the fire that drew us here is beginning to die down. It’s probably just an effect of time letting the ideas settle in, but I still think we should be able to counter the problem if we’re all we’re cracked up to be.
I think it’s really good that Eliezer is writing a new sequence, but I don’t think he can support the community’s ambition all on his own anymore. We need something new. Something that gets us at least as excited as the old sequences. Something that gets us back in the mood to take on the universe, blind idiot god and all.
I think that a lot of us just sort of settled back into our mundane lives once the high from thinking about conquering the stars wore off. I think we should find a way to feel as strong as we did once we realized how much of man’s mind is malfunctioning and how powerful we would become if we could get past that. I really don’t know if we can recapture that spirit, but if it’s possible, then it shouldn’t be harder than figuring out FAI.