You're looking at Less Wrong's discussion board. This includes all posts, including those that haven't been promoted to the front page yet. For more information, see About Less Wrong.

Crazy Ideas Thread - October 2015

7 Gunnar_Zarncke 06 October 2015 10:38PM

This thread is intended to provide a space for 'crazy' ideas. Ideas that spontaneously come to mind (and feel great), ideas you long wanted to tell but never found the place and time for and also for ideas you think should be obvious and simple - but nobody ever mentions them. 

Rules for this thread:

  1. Each crazy idea goes into its own top level comment and may be commented there.
  2. Voting should be based primarily on how original the idea is.
  3. Meta discussion of the thread should go to the top level comment intended for that purpose. 

 


If you create such a thread do the following :

  • Use "Crazy Ideas Thread" in the title.
  • Copy the rules.
  • Add the tag "crazy_idea".
  • Create a top-level comment saying 'Discussion of this thread goes here; all other top-level comments should be ideas or similar'
  • Add a second top-level comment with an initial crazy idea to start participation.

Bragging Thread July 2015

4 Viliam 13 July 2015 10:01PM

Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to comment on this thread explaining the most awesome thing you've done this month. You may be as blatantly proud of yourself as you feel. You may unabashedly consider yourself the coolest freaking person ever because of that awesome thing you're dying to tell everyone about. This is the place to do just that.

Remember, however, that this isn't any kind of progress thread. Nor is it any kind of proposal thread. This thread is solely for people to talk about the awesome things they have done. Not "will do". Not "are working on"Have already done. This is to cultivate an environment of object level productivity rather than meta-productivity methods.

So, what's the coolest thing you've done this month?

(Previous Bragging Thread)

Crazy Ideas Thread

22 Gunnar_Zarncke 07 July 2015 09:40PM

This thread is intended to provide a space for 'crazy' ideas. Ideas that spontaneously come to mind (and feel great), ideas you long wanted to tell but never found the place and time for and also for ideas you think should be obvious and simple - but nobody ever mentions them.

This thread itself is such an idea. Or rather the tangent of such an idea which I post below as a seed for this thread.

 

Rules for this thread:

  1. Each crazy idea goes into its own top level comment and may be commented there.
  2. Voting should be based primarily on how original the idea is.
  3. Meta discussion of the thread should go to the top level comment intended for that purpose. 

 


If this should become a regular thread I suggest the following :

  • Use "Crazy Ideas Thread" in the title.
  • Copy the rules.
  • Add the tag "crazy_idea".
  • Create a top-level comment saying 'Discussion of this thread goes here; all other top-level comments should be ideas or similar'
  • Add a second top-level comment with an initial crazy idea to start participation.

Group Bragging Thread (May 2015)

7 Viliam 29 May 2015 10:36PM

This is similar to the usual bragging threads, with one major exception: this thread is for groups, not individuals.

Please comment on this thread explaining awesome things that you have done with your fellow rationalists as a group. The lower bound on group size is three people.

Otherwise the rules are analogical: be as blatantly proud of your group as you feel, consider your group the coolest freaking group ever because of that awesome thing you're dying to tell everyone about. This is the place to do just that. - No work in progress, no proposals, only the awesome things you have already done.

And because this is the first such thread, feel free to write about anything that happened since the extinction of dinosars until the end of May 2015.

 

(Yes, organizing Less Wrong meetups is a valid example of an activity that belongs here, if at least three people participated. Please try to include more details than merely "we organized a LW meetup in <city_name>".)

Bragging Thread May 2015

6 Morendil 10 May 2015 01:25PM

Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to comment on this thread explaining the most awesome thing you've done this month. You may be as blatantly proud of yourself as you feel. You may unabashedly consider yourself the coolest freaking person ever because of that awesome thing you're dying to tell everyone about. This is the place to do just that.

Remember, however, that this isn't any kind of progress thread. Nor is it any kind of proposal thread. This thread is solely for people to talk about the awesome things they have done. Not "will do". Not "are working on"Have already done. This is to cultivate an environment of object level productivity rather than meta-productivity methods.

So, what's the coolest thing you've done this month?

(Previous Bragging Thread)

Bragging Thread March 2015

5 Morendil 08 March 2015 01:50PM

Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to comment on this thread explaining the most awesome thing you've done this month. You may be as blatantly proud of yourself as you feel. You may unabashedly consider yourself the coolest freaking person ever because of that awesome thing you're dying to tell everyone about. This is the place to do just that.

Remember, however, that this isn't any kind of progress thread. Nor is it any kind of proposal thread. This thread is solely for people to talk about the awesome things they have done. Not "will do". Not "are working on"Have already done. This is to cultivate an environment of object level productivity rather than meta-productivity methods.

So, what's the coolest thing you've done this month?

(Previous Bragging Thread)

Bragging Thread February 2015

6 Gunnar_Zarncke 08 February 2015 03:19PM

Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to comment on this thread explaining the most awesome thing you've done this month. You may be as blatantly proud of yourself as you feel. You may unabashedly consider yourself the coolest freaking person ever because of that awesome thing you're dying to tell everyone about. This is the place to do just that.

Remember, however, that this isn't any kind of progress thread. Nor is it any kind of proposal thread. This thread is solely for people to talk about the awesome things they have done. Not "will do". Not "are working on"Have already done. This is to cultivate an environment of object level productivity rather than meta-productivity methods.

So, what's the coolest thing you've done this month?

(Previous Bragging Thread)

Rationality Jokes Thread

11 Gunnar_Zarncke 18 December 2014 04:17PM

This is an experimental thread. It is somewhat in the spirit of the Rationality Quotes Thread but without the requirements and with a focus on humorous value. You may post insightful jokes, nerd or math jokes or try out rationality jokes of your own invention. 

ADDED: Apparently there has been an earlier Jokes Thread which was failry successful. Consider this another instance.

Polling Thread - Personality Special

6 Gunnar_Zarncke 05 November 2014 10:40PM

Another installment of the Polling Thread.

This is a special installment: It's about getting feedback about you! 

It has been said Don't Be Afraid of Asking Personally Important Questions of Less Wrong. And there is a Curiosity checklist: Looking for feedback. We are in a Tell Culture. So why not learn something about yourself? For some people it is easy to sense how they are perceived. For some it is difficult. Even if you get feedback it is (luckily!) more often positive - but this sometimes leaves out murky key points. Giving constructive personal feedback is difficult. Lets try it.

continue reading »

Polling Thread

9 Gunnar_Zarncke 20 August 2014 02:36PM

The next installment of the Polling Thread.

This is your chance to ask your multiple choice question you always wanted to throw in. Get qualified numeric feedback to your comments. Post fun polls.

These are the rules:

  1. Each poll goes into its own top level comment and may be commented there.
  2. You must at least vote all polls that were posted earlier than you own. This ensures participation in all polls and also limits the total number of polls. You may of course vote without posting a poll.
  3. Your poll should include a 'don't know' option (to avoid conflict with 2). I don't know whether we need to add a troll catch option here but we will see.

If you don't know how to make a poll in a comment look at the Poll Markup Help.


This is a somewhat regular thread. If it is successful I may post again. Or you may. In that case do the following :

  • Use "Polling Thread" in the title.
  • Copy the rules.
  • Add the tag "poll".
  • Link to this Thread or a previous Thread.
  • Create a top-level comment saying 'Discussion of this thread goes here; all other top-level comments should be polls or similar'
  • Add a second top-level comment with an initial poll to start participation.

Bragging Thread, July 2014

7 diegocaleiro 14 July 2014 03:22AM

Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to comment on this thread explaining the most awesome thing you've done this since June 1st. You may be as blatantly proud of yourself as you feel. You may unabashedly consider yourself the coolest freaking person ever because of that awesome thing you're dying to tell everyone about. This is the place to do just that.

Remember, however, that this isn't any kind of progress thread. Nor is it any kind of proposal thread. This thread is solely for people to talk about the awesome things they have done. Not "will do". Not "are working on". Have already done. This is to cultivate an environment of object level productivity rather than meta-productivity methods.

So, what's the coolest thing you've done this month?

Find a study partner - May 2014 Thread

3 MathieuRoy 06 May 2014 05:37AM

For reasons mentioned in So8res article as well as for other reasons: studying with a partner can be very good.

So if you're looking for a study partner for an online course, reading a manual or else (whether it's in the MIRI course list or not) tell others in the comment section.

The past threads about finding a study partner can be found under the tag study_thread. However, you have higher probability of finding a study partner in the most recent thread. If you haven't found a study partner last month, you are welcome to post the same comment again here.

Polling Thread

5 Gunnar_Zarncke 07 April 2014 03:13PM

This is the third installment of the Polling Thread.

This is your chance to ask your multiple choice question you always wanted to throw in. Get qualified numeric feedback to your comments. Post fun polls.

These are the rules:

  1. Each poll goes into its own top level comment and may be commented there.
  2. You must at least vote all polls that were posted earlier than you own. This ensures participation in all polls and also limits the total number of polls. You may of course vote without posting a poll.
  3. Your poll should include a 'don't know' option (to avoid conflict with 2). I don't know whether we need to add a troll catch option here but we will see.

If you don't know how to make a poll in a comment look at the Poll Markup Help.


This is a somewhat regular thread. If it is successful I may post again. Or you may. In that case do the following :

  • Use "Polling Thread" in the title.
  • Copy the rules.
  • Add the tag "poll".
  • Link to this Thread or a previous Thread.
  • Create a top-level comment saying 'Discussion of this thread goes here; all other top-level comments should be polls or similar'
  • Add a second top-level comment with an initial poll to start participation.

Find a study partner - April 2014 thread

1 MathieuRoy 31 March 2014 07:24PM

This is the monthly thread to find a study partner.

For reasons mentioned in So8res article as well as for other reasons: studying with a partner can be very good.

So if you're looking for a study partner for an online course, reading a manual or else (whether it's in the MIRI course list or not) tell others in the comment section.

The past treads about finding a study partner can be found under the tag study_thread. However, you have higher probabilities of finding a study partner in the most recent thread. If you haven't found a study partner last month, you are welcome to post the same comment again here.

Find a study partner - March 2014 thread

2 MathieuRoy 02 March 2014 06:00AM

This is the monthly thread to find a study partner.

For reasons mentioned in So8res article as well as for other reasons: studying with a partner can be very good.

So if you're looking for a study partner for an online course, reading a manual or else (whether it's in the MIRI course list or not) tell others in the comment section.

The past treads about finding a study partner can be found under the tag study_thread. However, you have higher probabilities of finding a study partner in the most recent thread. If you haven't found a study partner last month, you are welcome to post the same comment again here.

Polling Thread

5 Gunnar_Zarncke 01 March 2014 11:57PM

This is the second installment of the Polling Thread.

This is your chance to ask your multiple choice question you always wanted to throw in. Get qualified numeric feedback to your comments. Post fun polls.

There are some rules:

  1. Each poll goes into its own top level comment and may be commented there.
  2. You must at least vote all polls that were posted earlier than you own. This ensures participation in all polls and also limits the total number of polls. You may of course vote without posting a poll.
  3. Your poll should include a 'don't know' option (to avoid conflict with 2). I don't know whether we need to add a troll catch option here but we will see.

If you don't know how to make a poll in a comment look at the Poll Markup Help.


This is not (yet?) a regular thread. If it is successful I may post again. Or you may. In that case do the following :

  • Use "Polling Thread" in the title.
  • Copy the rules.
  • Add the tag "poll".
  • Link to this Thread or a previous Thread.
  • Create a top-level comment saying 'Discussion of this thread goes here; all other top-level comments should be polls or similar'
  • Add a second top-level comment with an initial poll to start participation.

Find a study partner

21 MathieuRoy 24 January 2014 02:27AM

For reasons mentioned in So8res article as well as for other reasons: studying with a partner can be very good. In November, Adele_L had posted an article for people wanting to find a study partner. It got 17 comments, but only 1 since November 16th. So I thought we (I) should make a monthly thread on this instead of constantly going back to an old article which people might (seem to) forget about. If people seem to agree with that, I will make a post about it every month.

So if you're looking for a study partner for an online course or reading a manual (whether it's in the MIRI course list or not) tell others in the comment section.

New Monthly Thread: Bragging

30 Joshua_Blaine 11 August 2013 05:50PM

In an attempt to encourage more people to actually do awesome things (a la instrumental rationality), I am proposing a new monthly thread (can be changed to bi-weekly, should that be demanded). Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to comment on this thread explaining the most awesome thing you've done this month. You may be as blatantly proud of you self as you feel. You may unabashedly consider yourself the coolest freaking person ever because of that awesome thing you're dying to tell everyone about. This is the place to do just that.

Remember, however, that this isn't any kind of progress thread. Nor is it any kind of proposal thread.This thread is solely for people to talk about the awesomest thing they've done all month. not will do. not are working on. have already done. This is to cultivate an environment of object level productivity rather than meta-productivity methods.

So, what's the coolest thing you've done this month?

Open Thread, April 15-30, 2013

4 diegocaleiro 15 April 2013 07:57PM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.

Politics Discussion Thread February 2013

1 OrphanWilde 06 February 2013 09:33PM

 

  1. Top-level comments should introduce arguments; responses should be responses to those arguments. 
  2. Upvote and downvote based on whether or not you find an argument convincing in the context in which it was raised.  This means if it's a good argument against the argument it is responding to, not whether or not there's a good/obvious counterargument to it; if you have a good counterargument, raise it.  If it's a convincing argument, and the counterargument is also convincing, upvote both.  If both arguments are unconvincing, downvote both. 
  3. A single argument per comment would be ideal; as MixedNuts points out here, it's otherwise hard to distinguish between one good and one bad argument, which makes the upvoting/downvoting difficult to evaluate.
  4. In general try to avoid color politics; try to discuss political issues, rather than political parties, wherever possible.

As Multiheaded added, "Personal is Political" stuff like gender relations, etc also may belong here.

 

Open Thread, February 1-14, 2013

6 OpenThreadGuy 01 February 2013 08:26AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, January 16-31, 2013

3 OpenThreadGuy 15 January 2013 03:50PM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Politics Discussion Thread January 2013

6 OrphanWilde 02 January 2013 03:31AM
  1. Top-level comments should introduce arguments; responses should be responses to those arguments. 
  2. Upvote and downvote based on whether or not you find an argument convincing in the context in which it was raised.  This means if it's a good argument against the argument it is responding to, not whether or not there's a good/obvious counterargument to it; if you have a good counterargument, raise it.  If it's a convincing argument, and the counterargument is also convincing, upvote both.  If both arguments are unconvincing, downvote both. 
  3. A single argument per comment would be ideal; as MixedNuts points out here, it's otherwise hard to distinguish between one good and one bad argument, which makes the upvoting/downvoting difficult to evaluate.
  4. In general try to avoid color politics; try to discuss political issues, rather than political parties, wherever possible.

As Multiheaded added, "Personal is Political" stuff like gender relations, etc also may belong here.

Open Thread, January 1-15, 2013

5 OpenThreadGuy 01 January 2013 06:09AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, December 16-31, 2012

4 OpenThreadGuy 16 December 2012 06:26AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Politics Discussion Thread December 2012

5 OrphanWilde 04 December 2012 08:19PM

I skipped October and November owing to election season, but opening back up:

  1. Top-level comments should introduce arguments; responses should be responses to those arguments. 
  2. Upvote and downvote based on whether or not you find an argument convincing in the context in which it was raised.  This means if it's a good argument against the argument it is responding to, not whether or not there's a good/obvious counterargument to it; if you have a good counterargument, raise it.  If it's a convincing argument, and the counterargument is also convincing, upvote both.  If both arguments are unconvincing, downvote both. 
  3. A single argument per comment would be ideal; as MixedNuts points out here, it's otherwise hard to distinguish between one good and one bad argument, which makes the upvoting/downvoting difficult to evaluate. 
  4. In general try to avoid color politics; try to discuss political issues, rather than political parties, wherever possible.

As Multiheaded added, "Personal is Political" stuff like gender relations, etc also may belong here.

Open Thread, December 1-15, 2012

5 OpenThreadGuy 01 December 2012 05:00AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, November 16–30, 2012

3 VincentYu 18 November 2012 01:59PM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, November 1-15, 2012

4 OpenThreadGuy 02 November 2012 02:11AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, October 16-31, 2012

5 OpenThreadGuy 16 October 2012 10:43PM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, September 15-30, 2012

7 OpenThreadGuy 15 September 2012 04:41AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, September 1-15, 2012

6 OpenThreadGuy 01 September 2012 08:13AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, August 16-31, 2012

3 OpenThreadGuy 15 August 2012 03:25AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, August 1-15, 2012

2 OpenThreadGuy 01 August 2012 03:39PM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, July 16-31, 2012

3 OpenThreadGuy 16 July 2012 12:47PM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, July 1-15, 2012

2 OpenThreadGuy 01 July 2012 10:45PM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, June 16-30, 2012

6 OpenThreadGuy 15 June 2012 04:45AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, June 1-15, 2012

3 OpenThreadGuy 01 June 2012 04:01AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, May 16-31, 2012

4 OpenThreadGuy 16 May 2012 07:36AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.

Open Thread, May 1-15, 2012

7 OpenThreadGuy 01 May 2012 04:14AM

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.

View more: Next