It was brought up as a matter of priors.
ArisKatsaris apparently reads only time travel stories where interfering with the past and especially yourself is all fun and games, and hence, the absence of any statement as to the harm or profit of interfering with yourself confirms his prior of safety. I read mostly stories where interfering with yourself is ridiculously universe-level endangering, and where the silent evidence leaves me at interfering with yourself is dangerous. My question points out this difference - why would I ask for evidence of safety if my default assumption is safety?
And this is why I say good point about Tom Riddle - because there's an example of interfering with a past self (magically and mentally, no less), with no apparent ill consequences.
ArisKatsaris apparently reads only time travel stories where interfering with the past and especially yourself is all fun and games
I don't appreciate this attitude.
I've read and seen time-travel stories with all sorts of different rules. And I can recognize and distinguish in my mind the rules used in each. In "Time Traveller's Wife" there's nothing wrong with touching yourself. In "Gargoyles" there was nothing wrong with touching yourself. In "All you Zombies" there's nothing wrong with time-travelling to meet your sex-re...
Update: Discussion has moved on to a new thread.
The hiatus is over with today's publication of chapter 73, and the previous thread is approaching the 500-comment threshold, so let's start a new Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread. This is the place to discuss Eliezer Yudkowsky's Harry Potter fanfic and anything related to it.
The first 5 discussion threads are on the main page under the harry_potter tag. Threads 6 and on (including this one) are in the discussion section using its separate tag system. Also: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. The fanfiction.net author page is the central location for information about updates and links to HPMOR-related goodies, and AdeleneDawner has kept an archive of Author's Notes.
As a reminder, it's often useful to start your comment by indicating which chapter you are commenting on.
Spoiler Warning: this thread is full of spoilers. With few exceptions, spoilers for MOR and canon are fair game to post, without warning or rot13. More specifically: