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polymathwannabe comments on "How To Become Less Wrong" - Feedback on Article Request - Less Wrong Discussion

4 Post author: Gleb_Tsipursky 26 October 2015 02:42PM

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Comment author: polymathwannabe 27 October 2015 04:15:32PM -1 points [-]

RationalWiki serves as a bridge for the inferential distance problem so often discussed here. Topics such as fallacies and biases are discussed at RationalWiki in a language that the general public can understand. As a gateway drug toward more advanced rationality, it has an educational value that we shouldn't dismiss.

Comment author: ChristianKl 27 October 2015 09:31:38PM 7 points [-]

It's more like a vaccine for rationality than a gateway drug.

Comment author: Gleb_Tsipursky 27 October 2015 09:51:36PM 1 point [-]

Ok, I'm convinced. I'm editing the article to take out RationalWiki. Thanks for helping me update!

Comment author: ChristianKl 28 October 2015 07:05:31PM 1 point [-]

To add a few arguments:

RationalWiki follows the standard New Atheist pattern of being too certain in their conclusions. Beliefs that aren't orthodox get rejected because they violate the orthodox New Atheist wordview. Cromwell's rule doesn't permeate the website.

RationalWiki is not about valuing empiricism and holding views backed up by empiric evidence. Wiki-entries get accepted when they speak for the orthodox side and not because they cite scientific studies to back up their claims.

Culturally people exposed to RationalWiki might come off with considering rationality as being about straw vulcan rationality.

Comment author: Gleb_Tsipursky 29 October 2015 02:42:17AM 0 points [-]

Thanks for helping fill me in more about RationalWiki. I will keep this in mind and avoid directing people to it in the future. Much appreciated!

Comment author: RichardKennaway 27 October 2015 07:35:39PM 4 points [-]

That is like recommending a bad textbook as a gateway to learning from a good one. RationalWiki says the wrong things with the wrong attitude. I believe that introducing people to it is counterproductive. Some of it reads as if it was written by a 14-year-old with a naive overestimation of his smartness.

Comment author: Gleb_Tsipursky 27 October 2015 09:51:10PM 1 point [-]

Ok, I'm convinced. I'm editing the article to take out RationalWiki. Thanks for helping me update!

Comment author: polymathwannabe 27 October 2015 08:22:41PM -1 points [-]

OK, we have different definitions of good educational writing. I'm tapping out.

Comment author: Vaniver 27 October 2015 05:32:16PM 2 points [-]

As a gateway drug toward more advanced rationality, it has an educational value that we shouldn't dismiss.

This effect seems overshadowed by worries that knowing about biases can hurt people to me.

Comment author: Gleb_Tsipursky 27 October 2015 09:51:39PM 1 point [-]

Ok, I'm convinced. I'm editing the article to take out RationalWiki. Thanks for helping me update!