In the UK, this is a suicide helpline charity, so just to flag that it’s a fake name in case anyone else missed this intially.
1. Long Term Reputation is Priceless
I agree long term reputation is valuable, but the hard question is “how valuable”. It isn’t priceless but yes, I agree it’s possibly underrated by EAs. But like, when should we use it. What actions should it stop?
what is your fantasy partner/complement organization?
I’m anticipating writing several posts on this topic in the coming weeks on the EA forum. I just want to flag that I think your questions about how to think about and value reputation are important, that the EA community is rife with contradictory ideas and inadequate models on this too if, and that we can do a lot better by getting a grip on this subject. I don’t have all the answers, but right now it seems like people are afraid to even talk about the issue openly.
I share your sense that EAs should be thinking about reputation a lot more. A lot of the current thinking has also been very reactive/defensive, and I think that’s due both to external factors and to the fact that the community doesn’t realize how valuable an actually good reputation can be—thought Nathan is right that it’s not literally priceless. Still, I’d love to see the discourse develop in a more proactive position.
I agree long term reputation is valuable, but the hard question is “how valuable”. It isn’t priceless but yes, I agree it’s possibly underrated by EAs. But like, when should we use it. What actions should it stop?
You can’t buy reputation, as the OP pointed out, and you can’t spend it either, e.g. by lending one’s name to dodgy projects, or getting people to take a lie on trust. You use reputation by having it, and the OP described things flowing towards those of good reputation. The actions that maintaining your reputation should stop are those that would damage it. The question is rather, what qualities do EAs want themselves and the EA movement to have a reputation for?
“The Good Samaritans” (oft abrebiated to “Good Sammys”) is the name of a major local poverty charity here in australia run by the uniting church Generally well regarded and tend not to push religion too hard (compared to the salvation army). So yeah, it would appear to be a fairly recurring name.
Well the Good Samaritan parable is the most well known, most important and most striking parable in the Gospels on the very specific topic of who you should help and how you should help. It’s not a wonder it’s a recurring name for Christian inspired charities.
In the UK, this is a suicide helpline charity, so just to flag that it’s a fake name in case anyone else missed this intially.
I agree long term reputation is valuable, but the hard question is “how valuable”. It isn’t priceless but yes, I agree it’s possibly underrated by EAs. But like, when should we use it. What actions should it stop?
I like this question
I’m anticipating writing several posts on this topic in the coming weeks on the EA forum. I just want to flag that I think your questions about how to think about and value reputation are important, that the EA community is rife with contradictory ideas and inadequate models on this too if, and that we can do a lot better by getting a grip on this subject. I don’t have all the answers, but right now it seems like people are afraid to even talk about the issue openly.
I share your sense that EAs should be thinking about reputation a lot more. A lot of the current thinking has also been very reactive/defensive, and I think that’s due both to external factors and to the fact that the community doesn’t realize how valuable an actually good reputation can be—thought Nathan is right that it’s not literally priceless. Still, I’d love to see the discourse develop in a more proactive position.
You can’t buy reputation, as the OP pointed out, and you can’t spend it either, e.g. by lending one’s name to dodgy projects, or getting people to take a lie on trust. You use reputation by having it, and the OP described things flowing towards those of good reputation. The actions that maintaining your reputation should stop are those that would damage it. The question is rather, what qualities do EAs want themselves and the EA movement to have a reputation for?
Yes, I think this is a pretty central question. To cross the streams a little, I did talk about this a bit more in the EA Forums comments section: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/5oTr4ExwpvhjrSgFi/things-i-learned-by-spending-five-thousand-hours-in-non-ea?commentId=KNCg8LHn7sPpQPcR2
It actually is literally priceless, because you can’t buy it with money. ;)
“The Good Samaritans” (oft abrebiated to “Good Sammys”) is the name of a major local poverty charity here in australia run by the uniting church Generally well regarded and tend not to push religion too hard (compared to the salvation army). So yeah, it would appear to be a fairly recurring name.
Well the Good Samaritan parable is the most well known, most important and most striking parable in the Gospels on the very specific topic of who you should help and how you should help. It’s not a wonder it’s a recurring name for Christian inspired charities.