Well this seems to make sense, though it’s worth remembering that unconventional definitions and standards on this subject could be picked up by progressive activists and used as a political weapon against us. And while good definitions are important for research and arguments, I’m not sure if creating a better set of definitions would provide much added benefit in terms of helping us reduce sexual crimes in the organizational sense.
I’m not sure exactly what you’re proposing as a plan of action. Surveys? I’ll always be happy to fill one out. Now I presume that EA organizations have discrete channels for reporting sexual harassment and assault; if not then that sounds like obvious good practice.
Some people get rejected from EA Global, so the comparison would have to look at visitors who applied to visit subsequent conferences.
As an aside, I find talking about ‘leaving EA’ on the basis of personal issues to be sort of distasteful as it trivializes the importance of reducing poverty, factory farming and so on, as if they were less important than our own experiences. Probably it is better to say more careful things like “I am going to work to reduce poverty on my own in accordance with Peter Singer’s philosophy without being involved with the EA community”, or something of the sort. As a rule, communities seem to be strong when they have negative attitudes towards defection and leaving.
Mate, she was already 2 days dead when you wrote this.
For a really good cognitive exercise in empathy, which is what Kathy was all about at the end of the day, go re-read all your communications with her in this context. It’s literally the first thing I did when I heard, and my communications, arguments, debates, and love with her go back to 2001.
Then re-read her main article.
Then reiterate to yourself how “probably it is better to say more careful things” to a person who suicided and whose entire life work was literally her cry for help that the community she cared so much about did not seem to hear.
Then maybe ponder again the insular nature of this little community.
I only know of EA through Kathy. I do not know if you’ve read her 30-page suicide note; it is online now, so probably not too hard to do. I do know, however, that she intentionally died in a deliberate attempt to make people aware of something sick in society than goes FAR beyond this little self-important online subcultural ghetto. She was willing and ready to burn EA and this whole society to the ground if necessary to make things right. While the ethics and expediency of such an approach is certainly debatable at the very least, as her friend and former partner I will do everything I can do, until I die, to stoke the flames of the fires she was trying to light.
“The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.”
Well this seems to make sense, though it’s worth remembering that unconventional definitions and standards on this subject could be picked up by progressive activists and used as a political weapon against us. And while good definitions are important for research and arguments, I’m not sure if creating a better set of definitions would provide much added benefit in terms of helping us reduce sexual crimes in the organizational sense.
I’m not sure exactly what you’re proposing as a plan of action. Surveys? I’ll always be happy to fill one out. Now I presume that EA organizations have discrete channels for reporting sexual harassment and assault; if not then that sounds like obvious good practice.
Some people get rejected from EA Global, so the comparison would have to look at visitors who applied to visit subsequent conferences.
As an aside, I find talking about ‘leaving EA’ on the basis of personal issues to be sort of distasteful as it trivializes the importance of reducing poverty, factory farming and so on, as if they were less important than our own experiences. Probably it is better to say more careful things like “I am going to work to reduce poverty on my own in accordance with Peter Singer’s philosophy without being involved with the EA community”, or something of the sort. As a rule, communities seem to be strong when they have negative attitudes towards defection and leaving.
Mate, she was already 2 days dead when you wrote this.
For a really good cognitive exercise in empathy, which is what Kathy was all about at the end of the day, go re-read all your communications with her in this context. It’s literally the first thing I did when I heard, and my communications, arguments, debates, and love with her go back to 2001.
Then re-read her main article.
Then reiterate to yourself how “probably it is better to say more careful things” to a person who suicided and whose entire life work was literally her cry for help that the community she cared so much about did not seem to hear.
Then maybe ponder again the insular nature of this little community.
I only know of EA through Kathy. I do not know if you’ve read her 30-page suicide note; it is online now, so probably not too hard to do. I do know, however, that she intentionally died in a deliberate attempt to make people aware of something sick in society than goes FAR beyond this little self-important online subcultural ghetto. She was willing and ready to burn EA and this whole society to the ground if necessary to make things right. While the ethics and expediency of such an approach is certainly debatable at the very least, as her friend and former partner I will do everything I can do, until I die, to stoke the flames of the fires she was trying to light.
“The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.”