Wes_W comments on Steelmanning Inefficiency - LessWrong

18 Post author: Stuart_Armstrong 03 July 2014 12:17PM

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Comment author: Wes_W 04 July 2014 06:08:47AM 6 points [-]

Part of the point of steelmanning, as I understand it, is to see whether there is a bit that can't be salvaged. If you correct the unnecessary flaws and find that the strengthened argument is actually correct (and, ostensibly, change your mind), it seems appropriate to still call that process steelmanning. Or rather, even if it's not appropriate, people seem to keep using it like that anyway.