“public critique clearly created barriers to starting new projects” In what sense? People read criticism of other projects and decide that starting their own isn’t worth it? People with new active projects discouraged by critique?
Mostly, people with active projects are discouraged by critiques and starting new public ambitious projects is much less fun if there are a bunch of people on a forum who are out to get you.
If I have an active project I want it to be as good as possible. Certainly there’s been mean-spirited, low-quality criticism on the EA Forum before, but not a high proportion. If relatively valid criticism bothers the founder that much, their project is just probably not going to make it. Or they don’t really believe in their project (maybe for good reason, as pointed out by the critique).
I have run non-EA projects that have been criticized internally and externally. Why do you think it’s off? Criticism is just feedback + things that don’t matter, when you believe in what you’re doing. The EA world is rational enough to adjust its opinions properly in the fullness of time.
“starting new public ambitious projects is much less fun if there are a bunch of people on a forum who are out to get you”
To be clear, I assume that the phrase “are out to get you” is just you referring to people giving regular EA Forum critique?
The phrase sounds to me like this is an intentional, long-term effort from some actors to take one down, and they just so happen to use critique as a way of doing that.
“public critique clearly created barriers to starting new projects” In what sense? People read criticism of other projects and decide that starting their own isn’t worth it? People with new active projects discouraged by critique?
Mostly, people with active projects are discouraged by critiques and starting new public ambitious projects is much less fun if there are a bunch of people on a forum who are out to get you.
If I have an active project I want it to be as good as possible. Certainly there’s been mean-spirited, low-quality criticism on the EA Forum before, but not a high proportion. If relatively valid criticism bothers the founder that much, their project is just probably not going to make it. Or they don’t really believe in their project (maybe for good reason, as pointed out by the critique).
Have you run a public EA project before or spent time talking to founders of similar projects? This seems extremely off to me.
I have run non-EA projects that have been criticized internally and externally. Why do you think it’s off? Criticism is just feedback + things that don’t matter, when you believe in what you’re doing. The EA world is rational enough to adjust its opinions properly in the fullness of time.
“starting new public ambitious projects is much less fun if there are a bunch of people on a forum who are out to get you”
To be clear, I assume that the phrase “are out to get you” is just you referring to people giving regular EA Forum critique?
The phrase sounds to me like this is an intentional, long-term effort from some actors to take one down, and they just so happen to use critique as a way of doing that.