An example I remember from a non-EA, mostly male meetup:
Man, striking up conversation with new woman attendee: âSo, are you actually interested in [topic of the meetup] or did someone drag you here?â When I objected, he said, âItâs just that most of the women who come here are dragged by someone else.â That might have been true, but it sure wasnât what Iâd want to hear as a new attendee.
It might be a mistake people are more likely to make if they think explicitly about Bayesianism. âI have some data on what people like you are like; let me tell you my prior.â But one point of a meetup is to encounter people as individuals. If I understand Bayesian terms right, itâs about gathering data to inform your posteriorsâwhat is this specific person actually like?
In some cases itâs not a bad idea to let your priors drive conversationâif I meet someone whoâs a biology student, I might guess theyâre interested in topic X. But in other cases itâs just insulting.
An example I remember from a non-EA, mostly male meetup:
Man, striking up conversation with new woman attendee: âSo, are you actually interested in [topic of the meetup] or did someone drag you here?â When I objected, he said, âItâs just that most of the women who come here are dragged by someone else.â That might have been true, but it sure wasnât what Iâd want to hear as a new attendee.
It might be a mistake people are more likely to make if they think explicitly about Bayesianism. âI have some data on what people like you are like; let me tell you my prior.â But one point of a meetup is to encounter people as individuals. If I understand Bayesian terms right, itâs about gathering data to inform your posteriorsâwhat is this specific person actually like?
In some cases itâs not a bad idea to let your priors drive conversationâif I meet someone whoâs a biology student, I might guess theyâre interested in topic X. But in other cases itâs just insulting.