Yeah there are considerations on both sides. On the one hand, you can’t install permanent changes and it’s a short period of time. On the other, events where large numbers of people mix from a wide number of locations probably have a unique role in spreading infectious disease + conferences have a unique need to prove COVID safety and venues might compete on those grounds, so establishing a model in that context could be particularly useful.
It’s not that I think “get all EA offices to implement optimal indoor air safety” is a bad idea (or necessarily a worse idea than EA Global doing it), and I’ll probably send some emails today in that vein. But the EA Global version appeals to me for two reasons: 1. It is a shared space for the EA community (unlike particular offices owned by particular organizations), which makes it a chance for us to express our values; and 2. the fact that it’s an event on a specific date creates a deadline, which i think has a lot of value in improving productivity and forcing decisions.
Yeah there are considerations on both sides. On the one hand, you can’t install permanent changes and it’s a short period of time. On the other, events where large numbers of people mix from a wide number of locations probably have a unique role in spreading infectious disease + conferences have a unique need to prove COVID safety and venues might compete on those grounds, so establishing a model in that context could be particularly useful.
It’s not that I think “get all EA offices to implement optimal indoor air safety” is a bad idea (or necessarily a worse idea than EA Global doing it), and I’ll probably send some emails today in that vein. But the EA Global version appeals to me for two reasons: 1. It is a shared space for the EA community (unlike particular offices owned by particular organizations), which makes it a chance for us to express our values; and 2. the fact that it’s an event on a specific date creates a deadline, which i think has a lot of value in improving productivity and forcing decisions.