I think this post is pretty damning of ACE. Are you saying OP shouldn’t have posted important information about how ACE is evaluting animal charities because there has been too much anti-SJ/DEI stuff on the forum lately?
I feel I have explained myself fairly well on this thread already, see for example here:
One could imagine, for example, a post that contains similar content but is written with far more sympathy for what ACE and co. are trying to do here, even if the author disagrees (strongly) with its implementation. I think this post actually does better on this than many past posts on this topic, but taken as a whole we are still a long way from where I would like to be.
Whatever information you want to convey, there are always a very wide range of ways to convey that information, which will vary substantially in their effects. With very controversial stuff like this, it is especially worth putting thought into how to convey that information in the manner that is best for the world.
I’ve actually been quite impressed with Hypatia’s behaviour on this point since the post went up, in terms of updating the post based on feedback and moderating its tone. I think my version of this post would try even harder to be nice and sympathetic to pro-SJ EAs than this, but I’m not very unhappy with the current version of the OP.
(The ensuing discussion has also brought to light several things that made me update in the direction of ACE’s behaviour being even worse than I thought, which makes me more sympathetic to the OP in its original form, though I stand by my original comments.)
The more substantial point that I’m trying to make is that the political balance of the EA Forum shouldn’t be a big factor in someone’s decision to publicize important information about a major charity evaluator, or probably even in how they put the criticism. Many people read posts linked from the EA Forum who never read the comments or don’t visit the Forum often for other posts, i.e. they are not aware of the overall balance of political sympathies on the Forum. The tenor of the Forum as a whole is something that should be managed (though I wouldn’t advocate doing that through self-censorship) to make EA welcoming or for the health of the community, but it’s not that important compared to the quality of information accessible through the Forum, imo.
I’m a little offended at the suggestion that expressing ideas or important critiques of charities should in any way come second to diplomatic concerns about the entire Forum.
I think this post is pretty damning of ACE. Are you saying OP shouldn’t have posted important information about how ACE is evaluting animal charities because there has been too much anti-SJ/DEI stuff on the forum lately?
I feel I have explained myself fairly well on this thread already, see for example here:
Whatever information you want to convey, there are always a very wide range of ways to convey that information, which will vary substantially in their effects. With very controversial stuff like this, it is especially worth putting thought into how to convey that information in the manner that is best for the world.
I’ve actually been quite impressed with Hypatia’s behaviour on this point since the post went up, in terms of updating the post based on feedback and moderating its tone. I think my version of this post would try even harder to be nice and sympathetic to pro-SJ EAs than this, but I’m not very unhappy with the current version of the OP.
(The ensuing discussion has also brought to light several things that made me update in the direction of ACE’s behaviour being even worse than I thought, which makes me more sympathetic to the OP in its original form, though I stand by my original comments.)
The more substantial point that I’m trying to make is that the political balance of the EA Forum shouldn’t be a big factor in someone’s decision to publicize important information about a major charity evaluator, or probably even in how they put the criticism. Many people read posts linked from the EA Forum who never read the comments or don’t visit the Forum often for other posts, i.e. they are not aware of the overall balance of political sympathies on the Forum. The tenor of the Forum as a whole is something that should be managed (though I wouldn’t advocate doing that through self-censorship) to make EA welcoming or for the health of the community, but it’s not that important compared to the quality of information accessible through the Forum, imo.
I’m a little offended at the suggestion that expressing ideas or important critiques of charities should in any way come second to diplomatic concerns about the entire Forum.