I have been using a burner account recently as opposed to my account with my real name following the Bostrom controversy. That decision is not motivated by any fear of reprisal within EA communities; at my local EA group, I am perfectly happy to espouse the beliefs that I’d want anonymity for on here.
The reasons for doing so are as follows:
Potential Costs: EA seems to be under a microscope in the current landscape (See Bostrom, FTX, recent Time article on SA). This forum is not viewed only by people with beliefs in charitable understanding and respect for evidence-driven conclusions. If I say something “controversial” to an EA and provide sufficient evidence, I have much more confidence that, even if they disagree, they will be understanding of my thought process. I have no fear of social costs among EAs; not so with journalists trawling for someone to quote as a “eugenicist” or other pejorative. This and showing up as a Google result could have severe costs to my reputation and life outcomes.
Lack of Potential Benefits: Because of EAs high decoupling norms, I don’t think that attaching my real name to posts provides much marginal value. In my experience and viewing others’, people are judging the content of posts on their merits. I don’t think my posts would receive significantly different attention, provided the content remained the same.
Unresolved Area of Potentially High Cost: The experience of discourse with a group of high-decouplers who grant charitable understanding to beliefs, such as I experience in my local EA group, is amazing, and I want more of it. I know that if I used my real name, posted more often and earnestly, I could cultivate a larger group for this kind of activity. I may benefit from adopting a consistent pseudonym across online profiles that would allow this sort of connection. However, I am, in my current position, unwilling to risk potential reputational damage outside EA circles.
In summation, I don’t believe this is an EA problem. I believe it is a problem outside of EA from which the EA Forum cannot shelter its users.
I have been using a burner account recently as opposed to my account with my real name following the Bostrom controversy. That decision is not motivated by any fear of reprisal within EA communities; at my local EA group, I am perfectly happy to espouse the beliefs that I’d want anonymity for on here.
The reasons for doing so are as follows:
Potential Costs: EA seems to be under a microscope in the current landscape (See Bostrom, FTX, recent Time article on SA). This forum is not viewed only by people with beliefs in charitable understanding and respect for evidence-driven conclusions. If I say something “controversial” to an EA and provide sufficient evidence, I have much more confidence that, even if they disagree, they will be understanding of my thought process. I have no fear of social costs among EAs; not so with journalists trawling for someone to quote as a “eugenicist” or other pejorative. This and showing up as a Google result could have severe costs to my reputation and life outcomes.
Lack of Potential Benefits: Because of EAs high decoupling norms, I don’t think that attaching my real name to posts provides much marginal value. In my experience and viewing others’, people are judging the content of posts on their merits. I don’t think my posts would receive significantly different attention, provided the content remained the same.
Unresolved Area of Potentially High Cost: The experience of discourse with a group of high-decouplers who grant charitable understanding to beliefs, such as I experience in my local EA group, is amazing, and I want more of it. I know that if I used my real name, posted more often and earnestly, I could cultivate a larger group for this kind of activity. I may benefit from adopting a consistent pseudonym across online profiles that would allow this sort of connection. However, I am, in my current position, unwilling to risk potential reputational damage outside EA circles.
In summation, I don’t believe this is an EA problem. I believe it is a problem outside of EA from which the EA Forum cannot shelter its users.