When I wrote yesterday’s comment (about the core community not being a good fit for everyone), I think I had a few things in mind, one of which is captured well in the GWWC-related comment about different levels of involvement. The other two, which are more difficult to make concrete, were:
The EA community has a certain distinct culture which isn’t a good fit for everyone (for any number of reasons). Although I’m new and not an EA historian at all, I suggest that many of those cultural features are likely a reflection of the specific people and circles who (re?)discovered the EA principles, rather than necessary outgrowths of the core principles themselves. The culture is a means to an end, and there should be places for people to practice the core EA principles without partaking much in the EA culture.
It seems there should be more communities devoted to specializing in what one might consider facets or subsets of the “full” or “well-rounded” EA experience. There’s a lot to keep up-to-date with in EA, and that might feel overwhelming (especially for those of us with non-EA jobs). Or someone might not want to identify with EA as a whole for any number of reasons; it is inevitably going to be a controversial social movement. So for instance, people could be encouraged to join (e.g.) a “Maximizing Global Health” community, and make that part of their social identity, if that was a better fit for them for whatever reason.
When I wrote yesterday’s comment (about the core community not being a good fit for everyone), I think I had a few things in mind, one of which is captured well in the GWWC-related comment about different levels of involvement. The other two, which are more difficult to make concrete, were:
The EA community has a certain distinct culture which isn’t a good fit for everyone (for any number of reasons). Although I’m new and not an EA historian at all, I suggest that many of those cultural features are likely a reflection of the specific people and circles who (re?)discovered the EA principles, rather than necessary outgrowths of the core principles themselves. The culture is a means to an end, and there should be places for people to practice the core EA principles without partaking much in the EA culture.
It seems there should be more communities devoted to specializing in what one might consider facets or subsets of the “full” or “well-rounded” EA experience. There’s a lot to keep up-to-date with in EA, and that might feel overwhelming (especially for those of us with non-EA jobs). Or someone might not want to identify with EA as a whole for any number of reasons; it is inevitably going to be a controversial social movement. So for instance, people could be encouraged to join (e.g.) a “Maximizing Global Health” community, and make that part of their social identity, if that was a better fit for them for whatever reason.
I agree with you in theory, but in practice I’m worried that the first bullet point will serve as an excuse to make EA culture even less inclusive.