commons plural noun [treated as singular] land or resources belonging to or affecting the whole of a community
The reputation of effective altruism is a commons. Each effective altruist can benefit from and be harmed by it (it can support or impede one’s efforts to help others), and each effective altruist is capable of improving and damaging it.
I don’t know whether actions that may cause substantial harm to a commons should be decided upon collectively. I don’t know whether a community can come up with rules and guidelines governing them. But I do think, at minimum, in the absence of rules and guidelines, that one should inform the community when planning a possibly-commons-harming action, so that the community can at least critique one’s plan.
I think purchasing Wytham Abbey (which may have made sense, even factoring in the reputational effects—I’m not sure) was a possibly-commons-harming action, and this sort of action should probably be announced before it’s carried out in future.
The reputation of effective altruism is a commons. Each effective altruist can benefit from and be harmed by it (it can support or impede one’s efforts to help others), and each effective altruist is capable of improving and damaging it.
I don’t know whether actions that may cause substantial harm to a commons should be decided upon collectively. I don’t know whether a community can come up with rules and guidelines governing them. But I do think, at minimum, in the absence of rules and guidelines, that one should inform the community when planning a possibly-commons-harming action, so that the community can at least critique one’s plan.
I think purchasing Wytham Abbey (which may have made sense, even factoring in the reputational effects—I’m not sure) was a possibly-commons-harming action, and this sort of action should probably be announced before it’s carried out in future.