Formulate methods of validating the SIAI’s execution of goals. It appears that the Summit is an example of efficient execution of the reducing existential risk goal by legitimizing the existential risk and AGI problem space and by building networks among interested individuals. How will donors verify the value of SIAI core research work in coming years?

This is the key to assessing organizational effectiveness. There are various outputs we can measure: The growth of the LW community and its activities are surely important ones. We might also want to have a survey of LW members to see what the demographics are, the growth areas, the development areas etc. Media coverage is another, maybe measured through something like pagerank. Site traffic.

Consider relocating to a cheaper part of the planet. Research Fellows will likely have to accept lower than market average compensation for their work or no compensation at all. Better to live in an area where compensation goes farther.

It should be noted that Givewell moved to India. Well, temporarily anyway.

While I think SIAI work is made better by constant contact and interaction with industry and academia clusters in the bay area, it might make sense for the organization itself to be legally based somewhere else for tax purposes etc.

Is any other information publicly available at the moment about the theft? The total amount stolen is large enough that it's noteworthy as part of a consideration of SIAI's financial practices.

I don't think you need to limit yourself to the LW community. I'm fairly certain that you can relate to a lot of other people. Start checking out meetup.com for local groups near you that sound interesting, and make some friends. I don't know how grown ups make friends, though.

But this one is from less than two months ago.

MOPI/Revelation passage come to mind.

The saddest thing is it could have been prevented. His suicide note got posted to his blog early, and linked to from here. I (and I think other people too) ran a whois on his domain, found his address, and reported it to his local police department. I'd have done more, but was somewhat limited by being many thousand miles away. Presumably the police were unwilling/unable to act on reports by email from another country :-/

When is suicide without cryonics ever rational, aside from rare situations where altruism demands it? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't think of any personal situation with zero possibility of improvement. Chris's suicide, like the vast majority of suicides, was irrational and sad.

The demonization of suicide by society and the effect that that may have on the suicide rate is a separate issue, and is less clear. It would be interesting to see a study on this effect.

If you, reader, are thinking of committing suicide yourself, please don't. Things will improve. There's no way things won't improve.

Is there a list of cryonicist-approved suicide methods?

I recall a conversation somewhere which considered the options of a hypothetical terminally ill patient who wished to cryopreserve himself before his brain was further damaged. Finding a country that allows euthanasia and having a cryo team on site seems like the best option!

Failing that I expect drowning in a partially frozen water source (with an observer nearby to secure the body) is probably a reasonably good option. Don't shoot yourself in the head or jump off a cliff.

Oh, I just noticed you are the same user who was casually ambivalent about the suicide option in another comment somewhere about here. That changes the connotation from pure theory somewhat towards practical advice seeking. I probably should clam up now and play the signalling game!

Is there a list of cryonicist-approved suicide methods? That could prove helpful.