I agree with your assessment of the problem and would also like to help. If Alicorn succeeds in forming a mod clique, the site will be much worse off. But we mustn’t form cliques of our own to counter, because that would lead to the same outcome. Tragedy of the commons.
That is why I am going to delete my account and sign up with a different account name, which I will not tell anyone. BTW, the account deletion feature isn’t working…
Honestly, I don’t see what good would come of disguising your identity, from anyone’s perspective. I urge you to look for other alternatives if you’re worried about clique formation.
Also, how hard do you think it would be for the other regulars to spot you under a new name?
On this particular issue, I just made a few suggestions. I just don’t see how having the same opinions under new names would help the state of the discourse, and we’d lose the ability to connect your ideas to their full context if you change names on us.
I can tell you’ve been lurking for a while and have a well-developed sense of humor. These are well-appreciated qualities in our community, but do not overdo it: being overly trollish is discouraged here. Have fun!
Raka is some other established reader of LW, and is lying.
Raka is a bystander who has been recruited by a regular to join and post that comment.
Raka is a new user who just discovered Less Wrong, and just wanted to post and say how excited they are to join, and just happened to choose a username very like Roko’s, and post at a point in the discussion where questions of identity had been raised.
I can’t decide between the first three, but the least credible hypothesis is 4.
Please don’t piss in the soup Raka, whoever you are.
ETA: As it happens, I have used the name “Raak” elsewhere on the web for many years, but I am not Roko or Raka, and have never posted and never will post here by any name but my everyday one.
Raka is some other established reader of LW, and is making a point
though I’m not sure I know exactly what the point is—perhaps that Roko is unlikely to succeed in their disguise, or that we’re going to start thinking every newcomer is Roko if this sort of thing goes on.
That seems like an overreaction, and sets a messy precedent as well. I agree with your analysis, except I don’t think the situation is as frightening as you do.
Both her post and your reaction to it, while of reasonable quality, are exactly the type of useless meta-discussion that I’d encourage everyone to vote down at least to the extent necessary to keep it off the front page.
I agree with your assessment of the problem and would also like to help. If Alicorn succeeds in forming a mod clique, the site will be much worse off. But we mustn’t form cliques of our own to counter, because that would lead to the same outcome. Tragedy of the commons.
That is why I am going to delete my account and sign up with a different account name, which I will not tell anyone. BTW, the account deletion feature isn’t working…
Honestly, I don’t see what good would come of disguising your identity, from anyone’s perspective. I urge you to look for other alternatives if you’re worried about clique formation.
Also, how hard do you think it would be for the other regulars to spot you under a new name?
Suggestions?
On this particular issue, I just made a few suggestions. I just don’t see how having the same opinions under new names would help the state of the discourse, and we’d lose the ability to connect your ideas to their full context if you change names on us.
Hi, I’m a new user who just discovered Less Wrong. I just wanted to post and say how excited I am to join this amazing and unfamiliar community!
I sit in absolute awe of the epic lack of sense of humor in the replies to this.
...!
*laughs*
Hi, Raka, and welcome to Less Wrong!
I can tell you’ve been lurking for a while and have a well-developed sense of humor. These are well-appreciated qualities in our community, but do not overdo it: being overly trollish is discouraged here. Have fun!
Some possible interpretations of Raka’s comment:
Raka is Roko, and is lying.
Raka is some other established reader of LW, and is lying.
Raka is a bystander who has been recruited by a regular to join and post that comment.
Raka is a new user who just discovered Less Wrong, and just wanted to post and say how excited they are to join, and just happened to choose a username very like Roko’s, and post at a point in the discussion where questions of identity had been raised.
I can’t decide between the first three, but the least credible hypothesis is 4.
Please don’t piss in the soup Raka, whoever you are.
ETA: As it happens, I have used the name “Raak” elsewhere on the web for many years, but I am not Roko or Raka, and have never posted and never will post here by any name but my everyday one.
I’m pretty sure it’s
Raka is some other established reader of LW, and is making a point
though I’m not sure I know exactly what the point is—perhaps that Roko is unlikely to succeed in their disguise, or that we’re going to start thinking every newcomer is Roko if this sort of thing goes on.
The most credible is 1. Placement, Hamming distance, a publicly stated intent to do as much, and a wierdly content-free intro message.
I don’t see what Roko gains from this.
I really don’t think he would fail that badly at disguise.
NO! that is not me!!
That seems like an overreaction, and sets a messy precedent as well. I agree with your analysis, except I don’t think the situation is as frightening as you do.
Both her post and your reaction to it, while of reasonable quality, are exactly the type of useless meta-discussion that I’d encourage everyone to vote down at least to the extent necessary to keep it off the front page.
Is account deletion supposed to delete your old posts? Why do you want that?
I can’t delete my account, either.
You could remove your email address and reset the password to something randomly generated. Just paste it in without saving a copy.
That should also give you a chance to write a message confirming you’ve done it before you log off.
Hi everyone, I’m a new user who just discovered Less Wrong!
it won’t work, your comment style is distinctive.