OpenPhil made an extensive write-up on their decision to hire Chloe here: http://blog.givewell.org/2015/09/03/the-process-of-hiring-our-first-cause-specific-program-officer/. Presumably after reading that you have enough information to decide whether to trust her recommendations (taking into account also whatever degree of trust you have in OpenPhil). If you decide you don’t trust it then that’s fine, but I don’t think that can function as an argument that the recommendation shouldn’t have been made in the first place (many people such as myself do trust it and got substantial value out of the recommendation and of reading what Chloe has to say in general).
I feel your overall engagement here hasn’t been very productive. You’re mostly repeating the same point, and to the extent you make other points it feels like you’re reaching for whatever counterarguments you can think of, without considering whether someone who disagreed with you would have an immediate response. The fact that you and Larks are responsible for 20 of the 32 comments on the thread is a further negative sign to me (you could probably condense the same or more information into fewer better-thought-out comments than you are currently making).
I don’t think that can function as an argument that the recommendation shouldn’t have been made in the first place
I agree, and I didn’t mention that document or my degree of trust in it.
I feel your overall engagement here hasn’t been very productive.
I suppose it depends what you want to produce. If debates were predictably productive I presume people would just update without even having to have a debate.
it feels like you’re reaching for whatever counterarguments you can think of, without considering whether someone who disagreed with you would have an immediate response
What counterarguments is one supposed to make, other than the ones one thinks of? I suppose the alternative is to not make a counterargument, or start a debate with all possible lines of play fully worked out and prepared? A high standard, to be sure. Sometimes one doesn’t correctly anticipate the actual responses. Is there some tax on number of comments or responses? I mean this is valid to an extent, if someone is making really dumb arguments, but then again sometimes one has to ask the emperor why he isn’t wearing any clothes.
OpenPhil made an extensive write-up on their decision to hire Chloe here: http://blog.givewell.org/2015/09/03/the-process-of-hiring-our-first-cause-specific-program-officer/. Presumably after reading that you have enough information to decide whether to trust her recommendations (taking into account also whatever degree of trust you have in OpenPhil). If you decide you don’t trust it then that’s fine, but I don’t think that can function as an argument that the recommendation shouldn’t have been made in the first place (many people such as myself do trust it and got substantial value out of the recommendation and of reading what Chloe has to say in general).
I feel your overall engagement here hasn’t been very productive. You’re mostly repeating the same point, and to the extent you make other points it feels like you’re reaching for whatever counterarguments you can think of, without considering whether someone who disagreed with you would have an immediate response. The fact that you and Larks are responsible for 20 of the 32 comments on the thread is a further negative sign to me (you could probably condense the same or more information into fewer better-thought-out comments than you are currently making).
I agree, and I didn’t mention that document or my degree of trust in it.
I suppose it depends what you want to produce. If debates were predictably productive I presume people would just update without even having to have a debate.
What counterarguments is one supposed to make, other than the ones one thinks of? I suppose the alternative is to not make a counterargument, or start a debate with all possible lines of play fully worked out and prepared? A high standard, to be sure. Sometimes one doesn’t correctly anticipate the actual responses. Is there some tax on number of comments or responses? I mean this is valid to an extent, if someone is making really dumb arguments, but then again sometimes one has to ask the emperor why he isn’t wearing any clothes.