Does it increase readership?
I don't know, but I'd expect it to; I could possibly elaborate. I'd also expect it to increase reader enjoyment and leave a stronger impression afterward.
Is it some sort of SEO trick? Because it doesn't sound like a better name otherwise.
Fic titles that word-substitute the original title signal either parody or amateurism to me. I notice Iceman isn't prefacing it with "My Little Pony :", though, so that's something (and possibly a leg up on my suggestion).
"Friendship is Optimal" makes the Less Wronger in me ask "Optimal for what?". It sounds like moral realism.
I don't get why.
It seems like a typical person forced to write the utility function that would shape the rest of history would take things a little (edit: I did say a little) more seriously. I'm only speaking from the summary; I don't know any later context.
Thanks for the feedback.
It seems like a typical person forced to write the utility function that would shape the rest of history would take things a little more seriously.
You wish that they would. Take this as a cautionary tale.
[EDIT, Nov 14th: And it's posted. New discussion about release. Link to Friendship is Optimal.]
[EDIT, Nov 13th: I've submitted to FIMFiction, and will update with a link to its permanent home if it passes moderation. I have also removed the docs link and will make the document private once it goes live.]
Over the last year, I’ve spent a lot of my free time writing a semi-rationalist My Little Pony fanfic. Whenever I’ve mentioned this side project, I’ve received requests to alpha the story.
I present, as an open beta: Friendship is Optimal. Please do not spread that link outside of LessWrong; Google Docs is not its permanent home. I intend to put it up on fanfiction.net and submit it to Equestria Daily after incorporating any feedback. The story is complete, and I believe I've caught the majority of typographical and grammatical problems. (Though if you find some, comments are open on the doc itself.) Given the subject matter, I’m asking for the LessWrong community’s help in spotting any major logical flaws or other storytelling problems.
Cover jacket text:
Hanna, the CEO of Hofvarpnir Studios, just won the contract to write the official My Little Pony MMO. She had better hurry; a US military contractor is developing weapons based on her artificial intelligence technology, which just may destroy the world. Hana has built an A.I. Princess Celestia and given her one basic drive: to satisfy values through friendship and ponies. What will Princess Celestia do when she’s let loose upon the world, following the drives Hanna has given her?
Special thanks to my roommate (who did extensive editing and was invaluable in noticing attempts by me to anthropomorphize an AI), and to Vaniver, who along with my roommate, convinced me to delete what was just a flat out bad chapter.