But if we actually want EA to go mainstream, we can’t rely on econbloggers and think-tanks to reach most people. We need easier explanations, and I think Vox provides that well.
Is “taking EA mainstream” the best thing for Future Perfect to try & accomplish? Our goal as a movement is not to maximize the people of number who have the “EA” label. See Goodhart’s Law. Our goal is to do the most good. If we garble the ideas or epistemology of EA in an effort to maximize the number of people who have the “EA” self-label, this seems like it’s potentially an example of Goodhart’s Law.
Instead of “taking EA mainstream”, how about “spread memes to Vox’s audience that will cause people in that audience to have a greater positive impact on the world”?
Agreed. If you accept the premise that EA should enter popular discourse, most generally informed people should be aware of it, etc., then I think you should like Vox. But if you think EA should be a small elite academic group, not a mass movement, that’s another discussion entirely, and maybe you shouldn’t like Vox.
Is “taking EA mainstream” the best thing for Future Perfect to try & accomplish? Our goal as a movement is not to maximize the people of number who have the “EA” label. See Goodhart’s Law. Our goal is to do the most good. If we garble the ideas or epistemology of EA in an effort to maximize the number of people who have the “EA” self-label, this seems like it’s potentially an example of Goodhart’s Law.
Instead of “taking EA mainstream”, how about “spread memes to Vox’s audience that will cause people in that audience to have a greater positive impact on the world”?
Agreed. If you accept the premise that EA should enter popular discourse, most generally informed people should be aware of it, etc., then I think you should like Vox. But if you think EA should be a small elite academic group, not a mass movement, that’s another discussion entirely, and maybe you shouldn’t like Vox.