First I’d say, to anyone who would call it unfair (I think it’s far more nuanced and interesting than say the Slate article), that the author is pretty clear about what is alienating or confounding him. If many people dismiss LW and MIRI and CFAR for similar reasons, then the only rational response is to identify how that “this is ridiculous” response can be prevented.
Second, best HPMOR summary ever (I say this as a fan):
It’s not what I would call a novel, exactly, rather an unending, self-satisfied parable about rationality and trans-humanism, with jokes.
If many people dismiss LW and MIRI and CFAR for similar reasons, then the only rational response is to identify how that “this is ridiculous” response can be prevented.
I agree with your overall point, but I think that “this is ridiculous” is not really the author’s main objection to the LW-sphere; it’s clearer in the context of the whole piece, but they’re essentially setting up LW/MIRI/CFAR as typical of Silicon Valley culture(!), a collection of mad visionaries (in a good way) whose main problem is elitism; ethereum is then presented as a solution to this problem, or at least indicative of better attitude. I don’t necessarily agree with any of this, but that’s what the thesis of the article seems to be.
You’re right, the word “ridiculous” may not be correct. Maybe elitist, insular and postpolitical (which the author clearly finds negative), but the article speaks better for itself than I can.
Still, there’s plenty of negative impressions (LW is a “site written for aliens”) that could be dispelled.
Interesting excerpt.
First I’d say, to anyone who would call it unfair (I think it’s far more nuanced and interesting than say the Slate article), that the author is pretty clear about what is alienating or confounding him. If many people dismiss LW and MIRI and CFAR for similar reasons, then the only rational response is to identify how that “this is ridiculous” response can be prevented.
Second, best HPMOR summary ever (I say this as a fan):
I agree with your overall point, but I think that “this is ridiculous” is not really the author’s main objection to the LW-sphere; it’s clearer in the context of the whole piece, but they’re essentially setting up LW/MIRI/CFAR as typical of Silicon Valley culture(!), a collection of mad visionaries (in a good way) whose main problem is elitism; ethereum is then presented as a solution to this problem, or at least indicative of better attitude. I don’t necessarily agree with any of this, but that’s what the thesis of the article seems to be.
You’re right, the word “ridiculous” may not be correct. Maybe elitist, insular and postpolitical (which the author clearly finds negative), but the article speaks better for itself than I can.
Still, there’s plenty of negative impressions (LW is a “site written for aliens”) that could be dispelled.
Important note