Overview for matt - Less Wrong

matt on Maximizing Your Donations via a Job

2013-05-08T08:52:25.053226+10:00

At TrikeApps our job ads say "Choose an appropriate file format for your resume – we’ll draw conclusions about you from the tools you use". Anyone who expects us to prefer a proprietary file format over LaTeX or PDF is probably applying to the wrong place :)

matt on Explicit and tacit rationality

2013-05-07T17:09:45.359364+10:00

They're bold enough to punch through unendorsed aversions, they're not afraid to make fools of themselves, they don't procrastinate, they actually try stuff out, and they push on without getting easily discouraged.

For what it's worth, I'm a pretty successful entrepreneur and I'd say this more like:

They manage on the whole to punch through many of their unendorsed aversions (at least the big ones that look like they're getting in the way), they're just as afraid to make fools of themselves as you are but they have ways of making themselves act anyway most of the time, they keep their procrastination under control and manage to spend most of their time working, they actually try stuff out, and they have ways to push through their discouragement when it strikes.

(Your version scans better.)

I'm commenting mostly against a characterisation of this stuff being easy for successful entrepreneurs. If you try something entrepreneurial and find that it's hard, that's not very useful information and it doesn't mean that you're not one of the elect and should give up - it's bloody hard for many successful people, but you can keep working on your own systems until they work (if you try to just keep working I think you'll fail - go meta and work on both what's not working to make it work better and on what is working to get more of it).

Meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:34:19 +1000

Submitted by matt • 0 votes • 3 comments

Discussion article for the meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

WHEN: 03 May 2013 07:00:00PM (+1000)

WHERE: 491 King Street, West Melbourne VIC 3003, Australia

NOTE: We've moved a stone's throw from our old office. Note the new address.

Practical rationality. This meetup repeats on the 1st Friday of each month and is distinct from our social meetup on the 3rd Friday of each month.

Topic for May: Rationality therapy - bring questions or decisions for the group to help solve http://lesswrongmelbourne.uservoice.com/forums/203428-general/suggestions/3876671-small-groups-rationality-therapy

Discussion: http://groups.google.com/group/melbourne-less-wrong

All welcome from 6:30pm. Call the phone number on the door and I'll let you in.

Discussion article for the meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

3 comments

Meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:20:33 +1100

Submitted by matt • 1 votes • 0 comments

Discussion article for the meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

WHEN: 05 April 2013 07:00:00PM (+1100)

WHERE: 55 Walsh Street, West Melbourne VIC 3003, Australia

Practical rationality. This meetup repeats on the 1st Friday of each month and is distinct from our social meetup on the 3rd Friday of each month.

Discussion: http://groups.google.com/group/melbourne-less-wrong

All welcome from 6:30pm. Call the phone number on the door and I'll let you in.

Discussion article for the meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

0 comments

Meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:00:44 +1100

Submitted by matt • 3 votes • 1 comment

Discussion article for the meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

WHEN: 01 March 2013 07:00:00PM (+1100)

WHERE: 55 Walsh Street, West Melbourne VIC 3003, Australia

Practical rationality. This meetup repeats on the 1st Friday of each month and is distinct from our social meetup on the 3rd Friday of each month.

Discussion: http://groups.google.com/group/melbourne-less-wrong

All welcome from 6:30pm. Call the phone number on the door and I'll let you in.

Discussion article for the meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

1 comment

matt on The Singularity Wars

2013-02-15T08:41:19.454292+11:00

singularity.org, recently acquired after a rather confused and tacky domain-squatter abandoned it

I would not have described the previous owner of singularity.org as a domain squatter. He provided a small amount of relevant info and linked to other relevant organizations. SI/MIRI made more of the domain than he had, but that hardly earns him membership in that pestilential club.

He sold the domain rather than abandoning it, and behaved honestly and reasonably throughout the transaction.

matt on The Singularity Wars

2013-02-15T08:29:34.496603+11:00

And http://leverageresearch.org/

Meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:23:19 +1100

Submitted by matt • 1 votes • 1 comment

Discussion article for the meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

WHEN: 01 February 2013 07:00:00PM (+1100)

WHERE: 55 Walsh Street, West Melbourne VIC 3003, Australia

Practical rationality. This meetup repeats on the 1st Friday of each month and is distinct from our social meetup on the 3rd Friday of each month.

Discussion: http://groups.google.com/group/melbourne-less-wrong (we'll discuss an organised activity for the night here, so jump in)

All welcome from 6:30pm. Call the phone number on the door and I'll let you in.

Discussion article for the meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

1 comment

matt on Meetup : Melbourne Social Meetup

2013-01-16T15:09:13.345602+11:00

I expect to attend.

matt on Meetup : Melbourne, practical rationality

2013-01-03T11:39:03.170793+11:00

Judging by https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/melbourne-less-wrong/2dFTXTJRHZY and posts here (thanks Maelin) it's going to be a quiet one. I'll bring a couple of games in case we don't get critical mass for a raging storm of rational self improvement.