MichaelBishop comments on Wanting to Want - Less Wrong

16 Post author: Alicorn 16 May 2009 03:08AM

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Comment author: MichaelBishop 24 June 2009 10:14:40PM *  3 points [-]

Let's consider a less convenient possible world. I come across several stupid comments, realize that the author has a lot of karma, and then start reading their old comments. Careful reading, including the context when necessary, leads me to believe half of their old comments are bad or overrated, and deserving of a downvote. I would argue that making those downvotes is justified, but I'd like to think I have better things to do than read and vote on comments on dead threads.

Edit: this comment may be confusing, please read my follow up to orthonormal.

Comment author: orthonormal 24 June 2009 10:25:09PM *  1 point [-]

Don't use "least convenient possible world" to mean "a different hypothesis to explain what you're seeing". We don't want the usage to get confused.

EDIT: Also, it's unlikely for this effect to result in every one of SA's last 80 comments being downvoted once.

Comment author: MichaelBishop 24 June 2009 11:31:27PM 0 points [-]

I'm sorry I was unclear. I didn't mean to suggest that this was an alternative explanation for this event. In fact, as you point out, the hypothetical I described contradicts SA's testimony in an important way (the proportion of the comments downvoted).

The reason I brought up the hypothetical was to promote discussion about scenarios that are more difficult to evaluate than what actually appears to have occurred.

Comment author: SoullessAutomaton 25 June 2009 09:51:58AM 0 points [-]

The reason the subject came up at all is because this instance was particularly blatant. Otherwise, we don't generally have enough information to evaluate other scenarios reliably--this is why Eliezer wants a way to monitor voting abuse.

Even so I'm willing to grant that it could be something innocuous (and will apologize if that is the case), but the evidence so far leans toward abuse.

If you want to promote discussion about the issue, a top-level post is probably in order, as you yourself previously noted; feel free to make one.