I once spent 30 minutes debating EA recruitment techniques with someone and we spent the entire time talking past each other. Two days later these terms came out and we realized he was talking softcore and I was talking hardcore. Having those terms available would have made it a much more productive discussion because the techniques and best targets are completely different.
The advice is different. 80k hours’ advice for EA global participants is almost opposite its public advice (e.g. flipping the emphasis on direct work vs. donating). I advise people on the street to give to AMF, my statistician father to donate to GiveWell, “softcore” EAs to OPP, and “hardcore” to donate to metacharities, unproven new ideas, or to nudge charities to be more effective.
At a certain point of income and what someone’s time produces for the world, donating to even the most effective charity is net negative to the world, because freeing up their time or brain has more impact. Having a socially acceptable way to mark that and reverse the pressure to donate seems really useful.
These aren’t 100% correlated- by definition the people who shouldn’t donate shouldn’t donate to metacharities. And we need better words. But I think the concept is useful enough to keep.
FYI I downvoted this comment because I don’t believe it’s useful to post short comments agreeing with the parent comment (that’s what upvotes are for!).
I’m not sure I agree; it’s useful to be able to indicate different levels of strength of agreement. Also, I’ll often upvote comments whose conclusion I disagree with if I think they made a useful contribution to the discussion.
I’m working on expanding this idea into a full post; what I have now is a fine tumblr post but not nearly polished enough for EA forum. Would you be willing to take a look and give comments? A lot of what I want to do is talk about what decisions need what information, and you’re in a good position to know that.
Practical arguments:
I once spent 30 minutes debating EA recruitment techniques with someone and we spent the entire time talking past each other. Two days later these terms came out and we realized he was talking softcore and I was talking hardcore. Having those terms available would have made it a much more productive discussion because the techniques and best targets are completely different.
The advice is different. 80k hours’ advice for EA global participants is almost opposite its public advice (e.g. flipping the emphasis on direct work vs. donating). I advise people on the street to give to AMF, my statistician father to donate to GiveWell, “softcore” EAs to OPP, and “hardcore” to donate to metacharities, unproven new ideas, or to nudge charities to be more effective.
At a certain point of income and what someone’s time produces for the world, donating to even the most effective charity is net negative to the world, because freeing up their time or brain has more impact. Having a socially acceptable way to mark that and reverse the pressure to donate seems really useful.
These aren’t 100% correlated- by definition the people who shouldn’t donate shouldn’t donate to metacharities. And we need better words. But I think the concept is useful enough to keep.
Exactly.
FYI I downvoted this comment because I don’t believe it’s useful to post short comments agreeing with the parent comment (that’s what upvotes are for!).
I’m not sure I agree; it’s useful to be able to indicate different levels of strength of agreement. Also, I’ll often upvote comments whose conclusion I disagree with if I think they made a useful contribution to the discussion.
I agree with Owen—a comment is a stronger upvote, plus it’s public where upvotes are private.
:’(
I’m working on expanding this idea into a full post; what I have now is a fine tumblr post but not nearly polished enough for EA forum. Would you be willing to take a look and give comments? A lot of what I want to do is talk about what decisions need what information, and you’re in a good position to know that.
Sure send it over.