Do you really expect that curbing discussion of which projects are the best projects is likely to do anything but help out the projects who do not abide by such decisions? Indeed, do you think it will lead to better decisions or more people joining in? Because I don't.
I don't think it is a rational outcome, or likely outcome at all. If I feel my project is the best project, then it is entirely rational for me to promote said project. If your criticism of other projects is indeed reasonable, then it would be unreasonable not to voice said concerns, especially if you feel that the dollars are unlikely to be well-spent.
Really this is exactly the sort of thing that someone with a bad project would tend to promote in the first place, isn't it?
Today's post, Rationality: Common Interest of Many Causes was originally published on 29 March 2009. A summary (taken from the LW wiki):
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