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ChristianKl comments on [LINK] Why I'm not on the Rationalist Masterlist - Less Wrong Discussion

21 Post author: Apprentice 06 January 2014 12:16AM

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Comment author: ChristianKl 08 January 2014 01:51:10PM *  3 points [-]

The purpose of such writing is to be understood only by one's own side, to be a nod and a wink to say, "we know what I'm talking about, don't we?", and to leave no definite point for the enemy to attack. The difficulty that one has created for anyone outside the circle to engage with the matter can then be taken as further proof of their evilness.

If I look through this thread I find that there are plenty of people who had no trouble engaging the article and pointing out things of disagreement.

It's no easy text and you probably need some understanding of the underlying ideas, but it doesn't seem to me to be impossible to engage.

Comment author: Viliam_Bur 08 January 2014 04:50:40PM 6 points [-]

If I look through this thread I find that there are plenty of people who had no trouble engaging the article and pointing out things of disagreement.

How much of that is because people just imagined their own ideas in the not-very-specific article, and responded to that.

If I just told you: "Someone was criticizing LW" and stopped here, it's not like your mind couldn't complete the pattern with some easily available scenarios.