This is another reason I agree with Michael Vassar that rationalists should be more comfortable with lying (at least by omission).
I think rationalists should be more comfortable with the idea that not all conversations are truth seeking. However, I don’t think we should be holding non-truthseeking discussions on LW because it poisons the point of this forum. Furthermore, while it is possible to be more or less tactful about truth seeking, truth seeking isn’t compatible with what I think your suggesting for this conversation. I think LW as a forum should generally be willing to be truth-seeking even if the discussion and/or truth unpleasant to some people. I also think that when the cost of having a public truth seeking discussion is to high people should just not talk about it on LW, and should make the existence of this filter as well known to participants as is practically possible (see the policy on violence towards identifiable people for a decent example).
I guess joke threads are ok in that they are clearly not about serious discussion.
Our disagreement (or possibly my misreading of your position) lies in scope/the definition of discussion. I think that you’re objecting to shminux and Kawoomba discussing the topic of true and/or rationality arrived at propositions that are likely to offend some people (or perhaps just that shminux gave an object level example rather than sticking to the meta-level), but are not suggesting that we shouldn’t discuss gender politics on LW. While I can kinda see the object vs. meta concern I think that the topic is something that should be allowed, even encouraged if we’re going to talk gender at all (for reference I’m unsure wether or not we should be having the general gender discussion on LW).
I’m not objecting to them discussing the topic, I’m pointing out the (weak) signaling implications of them discussing the topic. Policy debates should not appear one-sided and so forth.
I think rationalists should be more comfortable with the idea that not all conversations are truth seeking. However, I don’t think we should be holding non-truthseeking discussions on LW because it poisons the point of this forum. Furthermore, while it is possible to be more or less tactful about truth seeking, truth seeking isn’t compatible with what I think your suggesting for this conversation. I think LW as a forum should generally be willing to be truth-seeking even if the discussion and/or truth unpleasant to some people. I also think that when the cost of having a public truth seeking discussion is to high people should just not talk about it on LW, and should make the existence of this filter as well known to participants as is practically possible (see the policy on violence towards identifiable people for a decent example). I guess joke threads are ok in that they are clearly not about serious discussion.
I also think this. What did you think I was suggesting instead?
Our disagreement (or possibly my misreading of your position) lies in scope/the definition of discussion. I think that you’re objecting to shminux and Kawoomba discussing the topic of true and/or rationality arrived at propositions that are likely to offend some people (or perhaps just that shminux gave an object level example rather than sticking to the meta-level), but are not suggesting that we shouldn’t discuss gender politics on LW. While I can kinda see the object vs. meta concern I think that the topic is something that should be allowed, even encouraged if we’re going to talk gender at all (for reference I’m unsure wether or not we should be having the general gender discussion on LW).
Edit forgot to add link.
I’m not objecting to them discussing the topic, I’m pointing out the (weak) signaling implications of them discussing the topic. Policy debates should not appear one-sided and so forth.
oic For reference,
is what made it sound like an objection.