Counterpoint: This sort of thing seems more efficient for my brain to take in, compared to if it were phrased in a more “friendly” way. At least if that’d mean a long-winded and less passionate phrasing that relies more on the reader’s own motivation to pay attention.
It’s true that this quote is more suitable for informal chat than the front page, but also, a community must be free to be caustic about some things it finds sufficiently basic, else it gets watered down. Sometimes a caustic tone serves a purpose for the current readers.
So there’s a balancing act, where the balance Eliezer strikes tends to cause a new discussion about tone, again and again, and I imagine it gets a bit discouraging after the tenth such comment thread.
Counterpoint: This sort of thing seems more efficient for my brain to take in, compared to if it were phrased in a more “friendly” way. At least if that’d mean a long-winded and less passionate phrasing that relies more on the reader’s own motivation to pay attention.
It’s true that this quote is more suitable for informal chat than the front page, but also, a community must be free to be caustic about some things it finds sufficiently basic, else it gets watered down. Sometimes a caustic tone serves a purpose for the current readers.
So there’s a balancing act, where the balance Eliezer strikes tends to cause a new discussion about tone, again and again, and I imagine it gets a bit discouraging after the tenth such comment thread.