Even the post above is posted anonymously. To me, I see this as being part of a wider trend where people don’t feel comfortable expressing their viewpoint openly, which I think is not super healthy.
I can’t speak for the original poster, but the Forum is on the public internet. I can’t blame someone in the OP’s shoes for not wanting their name anywhere near a discussion of “scientific racism” where potential employers, neighbors, and others might come across it—even if their post is critical of the concept.
potential employers, neighbors, and others might come across it
I think saying “I am against scientific racism” is within the overton window, and it would be extraordinarily unlikely to be”cancelled” as a result of that. This level of risk aversion is straightforwardly deleterious for our community and wider society.
The person who sees the post after Googling the commenter’s name is still potentially left with the impression of the commenter as part of a community that tolerates “scientific racism.” That imposes costs that some of us, especially those with non-EA professional lives, would prefer not to bear.
I can’t speak for the original poster, but the Forum is on the public internet. I can’t blame someone in the OP’s shoes for not wanting their name anywhere near a discussion of “scientific racism” where potential employers, neighbors, and others might come across it—even if their post is critical of the concept.
I think saying “I am against scientific racism” is within the overton window, and it would be extraordinarily unlikely to be”cancelled” as a result of that. This level of risk aversion is straightforwardly deleterious for our community and wider society.
The person who sees the post after Googling the commenter’s name is still potentially left with the impression of the commenter as part of a community that tolerates “scientific racism.” That imposes costs that some of us, especially those with non-EA professional lives, would prefer not to bear.