I don't think the goal is to drive traffic. It's also to have an impact on the person who reads the article. If you want a deeper look at the strategy look at Nassim Taleb is quite explicit about the principle in Antifragile.
I don't think that Elizers public and private beliefs differ on the issues that RaelwayScot mentioned. A counterfactual world where Eliezer would be a vocal about his beliefs wouldn't have ended up with LW as we know it.
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.
Notes for future OT posters:
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3. Open Threads should be posted in Discussion, and not Main.
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