A more general formulation of this is of ‘1 way vs 2-way doors’ sometimes reference by Jeff Bezos. Here from some article (not by Bezos):
What are one-way and two-way door decisions? One-way door decisions are decisions that you can’t easily reverse. These decisions need to be done carefully. Two-way door decisions can be reversed. You can walk through the door, see if you like it, and if not go back. These decisions can be made fast or even automated.
To me a big part of the disagreement is which parts of this are 1-way or 2-way decisions.
I guess that to some, having racist speakers anywhere near EA feels like a 1-way decision. Once it starts, it won’t unhappen and then there will just be racists around sometimes.
To me, the repeated action of banning topics, often without full agreements on the facts involved (we don’t even agree on Hanania, let alone other speakers and attendees) is a 1-way decision. Once we start doing it, it becomes a tool that we can use that is hard to un-use. I want to be more cautious before we start being like “this person is unacceptable on grounds we don’t all agree on”.
Here then the question is how parties can both have these be 2 way doors. Perhaps we could agree to revisit the issue of racism in EA in a year and see where we think we are, with the power to renegotiate. If I were confident of that, I would be less worried about some more pushy moves now.
A more general formulation of this is of ‘1 way vs 2-way doors’ sometimes reference by Jeff Bezos. Here from some article (not by Bezos):
To me a big part of the disagreement is which parts of this are 1-way or 2-way decisions.
I guess that to some, having racist speakers anywhere near EA feels like a 1-way decision. Once it starts, it won’t unhappen and then there will just be racists around sometimes.
To me, the repeated action of banning topics, often without full agreements on the facts involved (we don’t even agree on Hanania, let alone other speakers and attendees) is a 1-way decision. Once we start doing it, it becomes a tool that we can use that is hard to un-use. I want to be more cautious before we start being like “this person is unacceptable on grounds we don’t all agree on”.
Here then the question is how parties can both have these be 2 way doors. Perhaps we could agree to revisit the issue of racism in EA in a year and see where we think we are, with the power to renegotiate. If I were confident of that, I would be less worried about some more pushy moves now.