My best attempt to interpret your view was something like “non-controversial content can work, but controversial content is almost always better”.
Right, that’s what I was saying.
My response was to point out that the most successful communicators of EA have typically been “non-controversial” in their delivery, even if some of EA’s core ideas are inherently radical.
EA as a movement isn’t a particularly mainstream thing (unlike Veganism, which is moreso). I think it’d be interesting to see how a less diplomatic figure in the community spreads the message.
If the goal is to eventually have almost everyone go meatless, there’s some value in pushing a message that more people respond to in the long term. Having 10% of the population go meatless for 20 years < having 50% go meatless for 5 years.
This model is clearly oversimplified, as a set of initial supporters might help to convert others — but on the other hand, if you can get a lot of people to spread a message in their “local” setting, shouldn’t that message be the one that works on the highest percentage of people, because total reach isn’t as much of a concern?
I’m arguing that total reach is a primary concern. I must be missing your point here.
If your brand is controversy, drama, and snark, you get a lot of people who enjoy controversy, drama, and snark.
Is that a bad thing? The snarky in your face people tend to be the types who post and share snarky memes that, once again, will reach many people (much like Vegan Sidekick, although he’s unfortunately drank the antinatalist Kool-Aid, which hurts his activism).
Isn’t this the opposite of the point you were making? If people tend to reject a message after hearing it, that’s an argument against using the message.
My point was no matter how nice you are, some messages are just out of the envelope that your approach to it isn’t as relevant. I don’t think the same standard applies to veganism or effective altruism as a whole however.
If your brand is positive, welcoming, and low-key, you get some smaller number of people who will tend to be more positive, welcoming, and low-key.
Of course, and that’s why we need the diplomatic types.
EA, in particular, has a fairly deliberate strategy of trying to recruit people who have a natural tendency toward compassion + “taking numbers seriously”, and being wary of the kinds of audiences we can bring in through overconfidence or an appeal to negative emotions. This may have reduced the movement’s numerical growth rate, but at the same time, I’m extremely happy with the people who have been drawn to it so far, many of whom came in explicitly because EA stood out from the crowded field of “social movements using controversy to persuade”.
Sure, and I dig that, but I don’t want EA to be restricted to just the super-compassionate types. I want more people to partake in it, even if they aren’t donating 90% of their income. Which is better, one hundred thousand giving 20 bucks a month or one thousand people giving 2000 bucks a month? It’s the same amount, but I think it’s a lot more difficult to find those 2000 dollar people than getting one hundred thousand people who aren’t at charitable. Maybe I’m wrong though.
RE: Yourofsky, I was highlighting how his controversial strategy helped start the wave of veg over there (even he claims he can’t take all the credit, but it served as a starter for the activists). Still difficult to argue with those results.
Also, I should emphasize that none of this has anything to do with my opinions about your content — I’m more focused on the general argument at hand, which comes up a lot. I think you should make whatever videos you feel like making (while trying to figure out whether people are responding in the way you’d hope).
Nae bother, I actually these discussions are important to have. I also have a few non-Youtube related endeavors I hope to be materialized, but YouTube I find is important too.
Right, that’s what I was saying.
EA as a movement isn’t a particularly mainstream thing (unlike Veganism, which is moreso). I think it’d be interesting to see how a less diplomatic figure in the community spreads the message.
I’m arguing that total reach is a primary concern. I must be missing your point here.
Is that a bad thing? The snarky in your face people tend to be the types who post and share snarky memes that, once again, will reach many people (much like Vegan Sidekick, although he’s unfortunately drank the antinatalist Kool-Aid, which hurts his activism).
My point was no matter how nice you are, some messages are just out of the envelope that your approach to it isn’t as relevant. I don’t think the same standard applies to veganism or effective altruism as a whole however.
Of course, and that’s why we need the diplomatic types.
Sure, and I dig that, but I don’t want EA to be restricted to just the super-compassionate types. I want more people to partake in it, even if they aren’t donating 90% of their income. Which is better, one hundred thousand giving 20 bucks a month or one thousand people giving 2000 bucks a month? It’s the same amount, but I think it’s a lot more difficult to find those 2000 dollar people than getting one hundred thousand people who aren’t at charitable. Maybe I’m wrong though.
RE: Yourofsky, I was highlighting how his controversial strategy helped start the wave of veg over there (even he claims he can’t take all the credit, but it served as a starter for the activists). Still difficult to argue with those results.
Nae bother, I actually these discussions are important to have. I also have a few non-Youtube related endeavors I hope to be materialized, but YouTube I find is important too.