whowhowho comments on Welcome to Less Wrong! (5th thread, March 2013) - Less Wrong

27 Post author: orthonormal 01 April 2013 04:19PM

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Comment author: wedrifid 02 April 2013 03:21:11AM *  1 point [-]

I strongly recommend against both the "advises newcomers to skip the QM sequence -> can't grasp technical argument for MWI"

That inference isn't made. Eliezer has other information from which to reach that conclusion. In particular, he has several years worth of ranting and sniping from Shminux about his particular pet peeve. Even if you disagree with Eliezer's conclusion it is not correct to claim that Eliezer is making this particular inference.

and "disagrees with MWI argument -> poor technical skill" inferences.

Again, Eliezer has a large body of comments from which to reach the conclusion that Shminux has poor technical skill in the areas necessary for reasoning on that subject. The specific nature of the disagreement would be relevant, for example.

Comment deleted 04 April 2013 08:03:53PM [-]
Comment author: wedrifid 05 April 2013 03:27:44AM 0 points [-]

Whose comments? Who's doing the concluding?

Shminux's and Eliezer?

Comment deleted 05 April 2013 12:04:37PM *  [-]
Comment author: TimS 05 April 2013 12:57:09PM 4 points [-]

[trap closes]

Don't do that. I think the rest of your post is fine, but this is not a debate-for-debate's-sake kind of place (and even if it were, that's not a winning move).

Comment author: wedrifid 05 April 2013 12:44:06PM *  2 points [-]

[trap closes]

Please change your posting style or leave lesswrong. Not only is disingenuous rhetoric not welcome, your use thereof doesn't even seem particularly competent.

ie. What the heck? You think that the relevance of authority isn't obvious to everyone here and is a notion sufficiently clever to merit 'traps'? You think that forcing someone to repeat what is already clear and already something they plainly endorse even qualifies as entrapment? (It's like an undercover Vice cop having already been paid for a forthcoming sexual favor demanding "Say it again! Then I'll really have you!")

Did you not notice that even if you proved Eliezer's judgement were a blatant logical fallacy it still wouldn't invalidate the point in the comment you are directing your 'trap' games at? The comment even explained that explicitly.

The guy without any physics qualifications is concluding that the guy with the physics PhD is incompetent in physics? You see the problem? EY's apparently authoritarian behaviour is supposed to be justified by the fact that he has plenty of evidence of Shminux's incompetence. But shminux is also doubting his competence and is much better qualified to do so.

If I ever have cause to send Shminux a letter I will be sure to play proper deference to his status by including "Dr." as the title. Alas, Shminux's arguments have screened off his authority, and then some.

There are no rational grounds for EY-can-judge-shminux-but-shminux-can't-judge-EY. It's just a recyclying of EY-is-special-because-he-says-so-and-this-is-his-forum.

"No rational grounds" means a different thing than "the particular evidence I mention points in the other direction". That difference matters rather a lot.

"Rational grounds" includes all Bayesian evidence... such things as costly affiliation signals (PhDs) and also other forms of evidence---including everything the PhD in question has said. Ignoring the other evidence would be crazy and lead to poor conclusions.

Comment author: whowhowho 05 April 2013 02:45:58PM *  -1 points [-]

Shminux's arguments have screened off his authority, and then some.

That isn't a fact. I don't see anything going on here except the same blind side-taking as before.

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 06 April 2013 01:08:27AM 3 points [-]

I affirm wedrifid's instruction to change your posting style or leave LW.

Comment author: shminux 05 April 2013 06:18:38PM *  4 points [-]

Please consider whether this exchange is worth your while. Certainly wasn't worth mine.