Mitchell_Porter comments on People who want to save the world - Less Wrong

5 Post author: Giles 15 May 2011 12:44AM

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Comment author: Mitchell_Porter 15 May 2011 03:03:11AM 6 points [-]

Yesterday I went on vacation from LW, but today I thought I'd see how this post was going, since it had the potential to produce something new... Alas, in about 12 hours, it has sunk from -1 to -6, as the mob decides it is about nothing but "applause lights" and votes it down. This is a failure of imagination and it's about to become a lost opportunity. It is not every day that someone shows up wanting to organize the world-savers, and in this case, I see definite potential. Or is it really the case that all those altruists have no need for support? End of lecture, back to vacation.

Comment author: Giles 15 May 2011 05:41:25AM 1 point [-]

I'm glad I have your support, but from my point of view none of this really works as an excuse. I'm trying to win here, and this post was clearly not a win (although it generated some interesting discussion, so maybe not quite so clearly).

There are things I want to change about LW culture too, but I know that I won't achieve that by whingeing. If LW culture is to change, then my own attitude really has to change first.

The lost opportunity may not be as great as you think. I'm committed to this, and I'm not going to stop trying to organize and support rational altruists just because of a few failed attempts.