Nice rant :-) A bit overboard, though -- may I make a suggestion? Read it again, but replace "LW" with "internet discussion forum". That should put your statements like "LessWrong frames itself as an alternative to academia" or "LessWrong has repeatedly rejected academia" into proper perspective.

I'm not making all this up; I once heard a professor say

LOL

I'd point out what this post looks like from within academia

You do realize that LW has no shortage of grad students and even gasp! actual academics who read and post here?

I say that if members of LW want to communicate with intellectual elites, they should go to a university and do it there.

 LAUNCELOT: Look, my liege!
ARTHUR: Camelot!
GALAHAD: Camelot!
LAUNCELOT: Camelot!
PATSY: It's only a model.
ARTHUR: Shhh! Knights, I bid you welcome to your new home. Let us
ride... to Camelot.
[singing]
We're knights of the round table
We dance when e'er we're able
We do routines and parlour scenes
With footwork impecc-Able.
We dine well here in Camelot
We eat ham and jam and spam a lot
[dancing]
We're knights of the Round Table
Our shows are for-mid-able
Though many times we're given rhymes
That are quite unsing-able
We not so fat in Camelot
We sing from the diaphragm a lot
[tap-dancing]
Oh we're tough and able
Quite indefatigable
Between our quests we sequin vests
And impersonate Clark Gable
It's a bit too loud in Camelot
I have to push the pram a lot.
ARTHUR: Well, on second thought, let's not go to Camelot -- it is
a silly place.
Right.