My problem with contest labor is that it exploits people’s probability biases.
On the other hand, there could plausibly be many people who want to help SI but are suffering from akrasia issues, partially due to the lack of a concrete reward. Offering a reward, even one that people knew was illusionary, might play two biases against each other and get people to do what they’d endorse doing for free anyway.
I don’t know how many people fall into this category, but it would at least somewhat describe me. (Or at least would describe me if I weren’t currently getting paid to do writing for SI anyway.)
On the other hand, there could plausibly be many people who want to help SI but are suffering from akrasia issues, partially due to the lack of a concrete reward. Offering a reward, even one that people knew was illusionary, might play two biases against each other and get people to do what they’d endorse doing for free anyway.
I don’t know how many people fall into this category, but it would at least somewhat describe me. (Or at least would describe me if I weren’t currently getting paid to do writing for SI anyway.)