as (likely) one of these two people—I still glad I did it / Ben let me do it anyway.
I can think of around ~two people who knew that writing a single blogpost in a day simply wasn’t how they could produce writing they’re proud of, and have since taken substantial parts of their writing offline.
I went in predicting it might not be me!compatible and this turned out to be true! I found publishing work in this way pretty unpleasant but also worthwhile? That said, I think many of the great things in my life have also been unpleasant and worthwhile (sailing across the atlantic; organizing large events; falling in love with the wrong person). In this spirit, I am glad I did inkhaven.
Things I liked include: The organizing team was cool and wrote real good. I made more friends than posts I liked. It was cool to see how publishing became soo much easier over the month. I enjoyed spending time occupying my own brain space. I learned things about myself. I learned things about other people. I enjoyed being around many people trying. The food was good and flexible. I noticed generating material from thin air for a blog everyday made me better at telling stories at parties.
If I were to do inkhaven for the first time again: I would set up systems to get over myself (for example just request feedback, make a script or flip a coin if you have to) and get to know people earlier on in the program—as those turned out to be my favorite parts.
happy to see an april version!
I feel confused about the rationalists online. It feels like I tolerate you online because I AGREE with ai risk and know many of you personally. However if I encountered yall in the wilds of the internet I would not be moved. I would perhaps bounce off. And a younger me would maybe have even made you my enemy. I’m not sure how to fix this. The space seems void of a certain type of pragmatic femininity and aesthetic sensibility
*adding more specifics:
I largely feel like I’ve noticed people doing attack swarms and piles which feel is weird. It gives the energy of a sugar rush and over excitement
I personally have a nails to chalkboard reaction to the heavy usage of the word ‘bro’ and ‘idk man’ in counter aurging but this is a nit
I get some sense of people putting on a Skin. and the skin is the thing they’re ‘supposed’ to say and not actually what they would totally say.
I get a good feeling when I notice people saying things in a way that feels them shaped, or holds nuance, it makes me feel way more likely to also say the Me shaped thing, which might not be the You shaped thing, but in net i predict might collect more people.
Overall I’m happy things are getting louder so if this is the juice that must come with the squeeze so be it. But I largely think civic/media/policy/field building is what we have time left for, and is too much to ask for people to just get good on it?
I am just not really moved by other people expressing emotions and it gets in the way of my own emotions forming (you might feel scared or hopeful or determined—but I will likely not also feel those things just because you’re sharing it. my emotions are shy)
ALSO I think some of you can pull off saying your OWN thing way better than you might think you can.
Idk man, maybe it’s just me
(see… I said ‘idk man’ the way many of you do!)