Yvain comments on A question of rationality - Less Wrong

4 Post author: mormon2 13 December 2009 02:37AM

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Comment author: Yvain 13 December 2009 02:04:30PM *  6 points [-]

Let him who has never used time in a less than maximally-utility-producing way cast the first stone.

Comment author: Kaj_Sotala 14 December 2009 06:16:54PM 3 points [-]

This sounds like a dodge - yes, we can certainly all agree that there are worse uses for SIAI's time, but the question of whether SIAI is working most effectively is still a valid and important one.

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 13 December 2009 02:23:02PM 4 points [-]

Spending a year writing a book isn't exactly watching an episode of anime. The question would, under other circumstances, be just - but I don't care to justify myself here. Elsewhere, perhaps.

Comment author: Liron 13 December 2009 08:37:04PM 4 points [-]

Estimated number of copies of said book I will buy: 30

Just putting it out there.

Comment author: wedrifid 13 December 2009 10:48:18PM *  1 point [-]

The question would, under other circumstances, be just - but I don't care to justify myself here. Elsewhere, perhaps.

(My upvote unfortunately only brings the parent to 0.) This is the approach that I would have taken (and recommended). The author and context of a post matters. Coming from an author who is consistently arrogant and disrespectful changes the meaning of the question from curiosity to challenge. Justifying oneself in response serves to validate the challenge, signalling that such challenges are acceptable and lowering one's status. It is far better to convey, usually through minimal action, that the 'question' is inappropriate.

I would not have even framed the topic with the phrase 'be just'. You can explain the reasons motivating a decision (and even explain such reasoning for the purposes of PR) without it being a justification. It's just and interesting question.