It might mollify people who disagree with the current implicit policy, and make discussion about the policy easier. Here's one option:
There's a single specific topic that's banned because the moderators consider it a Basilisk. You won't come up with it yourself, don't worry. Posts talking about the topic in too much detail will be deleted.
One requirement would be that the policy be no more and no less vague than needed for safety.
Discuss.
I'll add my opinion to the list:
I'm not an a, or a b.
Turns out, the basilisk was very close to one of the list of things I'd thought up, based on the nature of this community's elders, and gone "no, no, they wouldn't buy into that idea would they? No-one here would fall for that...".
Reading about it, combined with the knowledge that EY banned it, gives me an insight into EYs thought patterns that significantly decreases my respect for him. I think that that insight was worth the effort involved in reading it.
Honestly I was suprised at EY's reaction. I thought he had figured out things like that problem and would tear it to pieces rather than become. Possibly I'm not as smart as him, but even presuming Roko's right you would think Rationalists Should Win. Plus, I think Eliezer has publicly published something similar to the Basilisk, albeit much weaker and without being explicitly basilisk like, so I'd have thought he would have worked out a solution. (EDIT: No, turns out it was someone else who came up with it. It wasn't really fleshed out so Eliezer may not h... (read more)