I gave my own reasons for mostly abandoning this site in a post.
There were additional specific factors, some involving Eliezer’s high-handed interventions to remove or downgrade things I’d posted without, I think, considering them carefully. A big one was when gwern responded to a post of mine with a vicious attack, not on my post, but on me as a person. I replied with something to the effect of, “As a rationalist, you should recognize that attacking someone has a cost, so what exactly is the benefit to you here?” He responded by saying that he just felt like it.
That wasn’t what bothered me. What bothered me was that his comment was cruel and senseless, exactly the opposite of what this website is supposed to encourage—yet this denunciation of rationality in his personal behavior had more upvotes than downvotes. That showed me that this website isn’t really about rationality, at least not to most of those who read and vote.
I feel a little bad about admitting that his personal attack succeeded in his goal of reducing my presence here. But it wouldn’t have, if the LW community hadn’t assisted.
A big one was when gwern responded to a post of mine with a vicious attack, not on my post, but on me as a person. I replied with something to the effect of, “As a rationalist, you should recognize that attacking someone has a cost, so what exactly is the benefit to you here?” He responded by saying that he just felt like it.
I disagree strongly with this characterization and feel this comment simply continues the pattern that I was criticizing. For some examples:
If people think I’m wrong, not just unnecessarily insulting, well, go through Goetz’s comment and post history, starting at the beginning, and see if my summary does not strike you as fitting better than a narrative of baseless persecution. Cyan’s mention of ‘narcissistic injury’ is right on the money.
I gave my own reasons for mostly abandoning this site in a post.
There were additional specific factors, some involving Eliezer’s high-handed interventions to remove or downgrade things I’d posted without, I think, considering them carefully. A big one was when gwern responded to a post of mine with a vicious attack, not on my post, but on me as a person. I replied with something to the effect of, “As a rationalist, you should recognize that attacking someone has a cost, so what exactly is the benefit to you here?” He responded by saying that he just felt like it.
That wasn’t what bothered me. What bothered me was that his comment was cruel and senseless, exactly the opposite of what this website is supposed to encourage—yet this denunciation of rationality in his personal behavior had more upvotes than downvotes. That showed me that this website isn’t really about rationality, at least not to most of those who read and vote.
I feel a little bad about admitting that his personal attack succeeded in his goal of reducing my presence here. But it wouldn’t have, if the LW community hadn’t assisted.
I disagree strongly with this characterization and feel this comment simply continues the pattern that I was criticizing. For some examples:
Cyan on Goetz’s statistical understanding: http://lesswrong.com/lw/jj6/using_vs_evaluating_or_why_i_dont_come_around/aerh
Goetz’s argument against Shakespeare: http://lesswrong.com/lw/j24/to_like_or_not_to_like/a1pj
the ‘vicious attack’: http://lesswrong.com/lw/h75/optimal_rudeness/8rfh
and let’s not forget Goetz’s classic http://lesswrong.com/lw/h56/the_universal_medical_journal_article_error/ (which you can see he’s still complaining about in the above comment)
If people think I’m wrong, not just unnecessarily insulting, well, go through Goetz’s comment and post history, starting at the beginning, and see if my summary does not strike you as fitting better than a narrative of baseless persecution. Cyan’s mention of ‘narcissistic injury’ is right on the money.