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Jayson_Virissimo comments on The Problem With Rational Wiki - Less Wrong Discussion

20 [deleted] 26 October 2012 11:31AM

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Comment author: Jayson_Virissimo 29 October 2012 10:08:52AM *  3 points [-]

According to XiXiDu, "she believed it would be unlikely for her to produce an article that would be satisfactory to both her and SIAI". Does that mean she didn't think it could be formalized, that it could be but that it would end up being obviously inferior to CDT/EDT or otherwise a bad decision theory, that she isn't able to do it but that someone else could, or something else entirely?

Comment author: [deleted] 29 October 2012 11:06:41AM 0 points [-]

According to XiXiDu

Ah, yes, the absolute best source for information.

Comment author: David_Gerard 29 October 2012 11:54:45AM 0 points [-]

Are you accusing him of lying?

Comment author: [deleted] 29 October 2012 01:00:47PM *  5 points [-]

As many times as he's quoted people out of context, wantonly misrepresented their positions in order to support his agenda, and so on, I wouldn't be surprised if the above isn't the whole story.

Comment author: David_Gerard 29 October 2012 03:30:32PM *  1 point [-]

Without really convincing citations, that's just mudslinging.

(I also saw the email from Briggs and it's accurate in wording and IMO context.)

Comment author: gwern 29 October 2012 04:26:12PM *  6 points [-]

But what is the context here? I mean, I'd find it perfectly plausible for a chosen academic to turn down a SI grant because she doesn't want to be associated - but Briggs already had accepted the grant, apparently in all seriousness.

Comment author: David_Gerard 29 October 2012 04:34:14PM 0 points [-]

I mean the context of the quote in the email. There's basically no other detail.

Comment author: gwern 29 October 2012 04:40:22PM 7 points [-]

Ah. Well, my general question still stands: it can't be as simple as just not wanting to be associated, since then she would not have accepted in the first place, so what changed? It's hard to imagine that XiXi's idée fixe, the basilisk, would make her turn it down, and I can't think of any recent scandals like newspaper headlines screaming 'Yudkowsky caught acausally molesting catgirls!' which might do the trick

So my best guess is the other mentioned possibility: she didn't think she could do anything worthwhile with TDT, which is interesting to me since I read a few of her papers and they were pretty good but other people who seem smarter than me and much better at decision theory think TDT is interesting and novel and a good starting point for more work!

Comment author: [deleted] 29 October 2012 03:36:11PM 3 points [-]

There's a large chasm between "Briggs confirmed she's not writing the TDT paper" and his editorializing:

Would you really feel good having your name that close to crackpot ideas like the Roko basilisk? Status is important within academia. Having "Singularity Institute" in your bio doesn't look good.

That has been his hobby horse for many years now, and these have been his methods. Or am I the only person who remembers shityudkowskysays.tumblr.com?

Comment author: David_Gerard 29 October 2012 04:06:32PM 3 points [-]

The statement you were responding to was: 'According to XiXiDu, "she believed it would be unlikely for her to produce an article that would be satisfactory to both her and SIAI".' You expressed doubt as to this, implying Kruel was lying. When called on that, you backed off to a general claim that he quoted people out of context a lot. In this case he was doing no such thing, so you've moved to general mudslinging. It's not clear that this constitutes a worthwhile mode of discussion.

Comment author: [deleted] 29 October 2012 04:18:15PM 2 points [-]

I firmly disagree with your interpretation of this thread, and also find further discussion not worthwhile.