Alex9 comments on Beyond the Reach of God - Less Wrong

66 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 04 October 2008 03:42PM

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Comment author: Alex9 06 October 2008 03:23:00PM 0 points [-]

You've said the bit about Paul Graham twice now in this thread; do you actually consider that good reasoning, or are you merely being flip? Paul Graham's followers may or may not be cultish to some degree, but that doesn't bear on the question of whether your own promotional strategies are sound ones. Let me put it this way: you will need solid, technically-minded, traditionally-trained scientists and engineers in your camp if you ever hope to do the things you want to do. The mainstream science community, as a matter of custom, doesn't look favorably upon uncredentialed lone wolves making grandiose pronouncements about "saving the world." This smacks scarily of religion and quackery. Like it or not, credibility is hugely important; be very careful about frittering it away.