You mean, as opposed to personal experience?
No, as opposed to empirical data with some of the usual bias-correction measures like proper sampling.
That is, does someone else having an experience actually make your own experience less valid?
No, just internally flagged the comment as "not worthwhile" because it relied upon anecdotes where clearly data would be more appropriate. But a comment with no such mention should not be more valuable, so this seems to be an overcorrection.
Heh, this reminds me of some study I read about here (or on OB), about how when you give people a fact, they tend to first accept it before evaluating whether it's true, and that if you distract them before they have time to evaluate it, they'll "remember it as true".
Seems like something similar is going on here, where by default you don't check how reliable a piece of information is, unless you're prompted by something that makes you think about it.
Interesting bug! I probably have it too ...
The main danger for LW is that it could become rationalist-porn for daydreamers.
I suggest a pattern of counterattack:
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(This used to be a comment, here.)Find a nonrational aspect of your nature that is hindering you right now.
Determine privately to fix it.
Set a short deadline. Do the necessary work.
Write it up on LW at the deadline. Whether or not it worked.