I want you to be able to come and just talk about forecasting too! I think people who wanted to do this (eg Ozzie Gooen by his self-report) were able to do this. Manifest is a big tent; if people want to just talk about forecasting, or AI, or board games, or polygenic screening, I want them to have that space.
It sounds like “serious forecasting conference” is a product that you and some others would be excited about. I hope that somebody runs one! But this wasn’t ever the explicit goal of Manifest, which I’d describe as being closer to “fun forecasting-adjacent festival”—I use “festival” instead of “conference” to denote that Manifest’s aims are much more similar to a music festival or an anime convention, rather than an academic conference.
This reads to me like: “If you’re bothered by the racism/sexism/etc, you’re just not high-decoupling enough to just come and have a fun time… if you’re bothered you’re just un-fun, that’s because you are too serious and you want to stifle free discourse… just let the racists be racists, and you can do your own thing too nearby”.
I am glad you are interacting here and giving your honest opinions, thanks for that, I found some of your comments helpful, even though I don’t agree or resonate with some of them.
However, note that I find this interpretation as a pretty uncharitable reading.
I see a big distinction between “I want to create a space where people can talk about different and not so controversial stuff” (I believe that “polygenic screening is not racism” is a useful and important distinction) vs. telling people “you are bad and unfun for not being fine with racist talking about racism and sexism next to you”.
I have seen this for a second time from you when replying to Austin (e.g. here), and I think it’s worse for the discussion discourse. Take what you want from it, of course.
That’s fair—you’re right to make this distinction where I failed and I’m sorry. I think I have a good point but I got heated in describing it and strayed further from charitableness than I should. I regret that.
I want you to be able to come and just talk about forecasting too! I think people who wanted to do this (eg Ozzie Gooen by his self-report) were able to do this. Manifest is a big tent; if people want to just talk about forecasting, or AI, or board games, or polygenic screening, I want them to have that space.
It sounds like “serious forecasting conference” is a product that you and some others would be excited about. I hope that somebody runs one! But this wasn’t ever the explicit goal of Manifest, which I’d describe as being closer to “fun forecasting-adjacent festival”—I use “festival” instead of “conference” to denote that Manifest’s aims are much more similar to a music festival or an anime convention, rather than an academic conference.
This reads to me like: “If you’re bothered by the racism/sexism/etc, you’re just not high-decoupling enough to just come and have a fun time… if you’re bothered you’re just un-fun, that’s because you are too serious and you want to stifle free discourse… just let the racists be racists, and you can do your own thing too nearby”.
I am glad you are interacting here and giving your honest opinions, thanks for that, I found some of your comments helpful, even though I don’t agree or resonate with some of them.
However, note that I find this interpretation as a pretty uncharitable reading.
I see a big distinction between “I want to create a space where people can talk about different and not so controversial stuff” (I believe that “polygenic screening is not racism” is a useful and important distinction) vs. telling people “you are bad and unfun for not being fine with racist talking about racism and sexism next to you”.
I have seen this for a second time from you when replying to Austin (e.g. here), and I think it’s worse for the discussion discourse. Take what you want from it, of course.
That’s fair—you’re right to make this distinction where I failed and I’m sorry. I think I have a good point but I got heated in describing it and strayed further from charitableness than I should. I regret that.