Even if you don't agree that their self-identification is justified, it is a true fact about the world that the category exists and has clear properties.
So does the category of people who claim to have experienced miracles.
You're disingenuously moving the goalposts. Previously you drew analogy to "people who have experienced miracles", and now that I've demonstrated out that analogy doesn't work, you've retreated to "people who claim to have experienced miracles", which is not at all the same thing.
"People who have actually experienced miracles" is a null category, and you cannot be expected to talk to them because if you are right, they don't exist. "People who claim to have experienced miracles" is a category that definitely exists,...
It's that time of year again. Actually, a little earlier than that time of year, but I'm pushing it ahead a little to match when Ozy and I expect to have more free time to process the results.
The first draft of the 2014 Less Wrong Census/Survey is complete (see 2013 results here) .
You can see the survey below if you promise not to try to take the survey because it's not done yet and this is just an example!
2014 Less Wrong Census/Survey Draft
I want two things from you.
First, please critique this draft (it's much the same as last year's). Tell me if any questions are unclear, misleading, offensive, confusing, or stupid. Tell me if the survey is so unbearably long that you would never possibly take it. Tell me if anything needs to be rephrased.
Second, I am willing to include any question you want in the Super Extra Bonus Questions section, as long as it is not offensive, super-long-and-involved, or really dumb. Please post any questions you want there. Please be specific - not "Ask something about taxes" but give the exact question you want me to ask as well as all answer choices.
Try not to add more than a few questions per person, unless you're sure yours are really interesting. Please also don't add any questions that aren't very easily sort-able by a computer program like SPSS unless you can commit to sorting the answers yourself.
I will probably post the survey to Main and officially open it for responses sometime early next week.