Hello Ivy! I think you’ve missed at least one scenario, which is where you use your real name, your criticism is not well received, you have identified yourself as a troublemaker, and those in positions of power torpedo you. Surely this is a possibility? Unless people think it’s a serious possibility, it’s hard to make sense of why people write things anonymously, or just stay silent.
Honestly I don’t think this is a good enough reason to post anonymously though… [Edit: In that I don’t think this risk makes the expected value of using your name negative. Even if there is a serious chance, it’s surely a relatively small one compared to other outcomes. Above I was attempting to show that there are pros to posting anonymously which outweigh the cons in expected value terms. I don’t think that changes the calculus.]
I also think it may not be a con exactly if that happens. Or it’s a pro and con nested together? Because I think EAs torpedoing people would be a serious issue that would need revealing. I don’t get why people wouldn’t want to use this moment to test the toxicity of the movement they want to be in tbh. Why would you just… not want to know if you’d be torpedoed? In that case it falls within #3 still: “If your critique is not well received… You can feel liberated to put your energy elsewhere.”
And if you get torpedoed, you can always write an expose about that and help people who might be in a similar situation in the future!
Maybe someday I’ll be torpedoed tbh. If this is a thing that leaders will do to anyone, I’m probably weird enough and have done misinterpretable enough things. Maybe I’d deserve it and maybe not, but either way I’d like to know if it’s going to happen so that I should move on. In case you can’t tell, I have already had concerns like the anons seem to have, but I’ve decided I wouldn’t like thinking “Is EA for me or not?” It’s not pleasant or motivating. Honestly it’s amazing how much that question drags down your potential. I want the answer not to live with the question. As long as I don’t get torpedoed when being myself (or develop serious problems with the movement), that answer is yes. Which is just much more workable. Why would I not want to know? EA is not like, sacred. It can and should be thrown out of your roster if it’s a bad fit or a problematic entity.
[Edit: I wonder if EAs just need to be taught these sorts of calculations?]
Hello Ivy! I think you’ve missed at least one scenario, which is where you use your real name, your criticism is not well received, you have identified yourself as a troublemaker, and those in positions of power torpedo you. Surely this is a possibility? Unless people think it’s a serious possibility, it’s hard to make sense of why people write things anonymously, or just stay silent.
Honestly I don’t think this is a good enough reason to post anonymously though… [Edit: In that I don’t think this risk makes the expected value of using your name negative. Even if there is a serious chance, it’s surely a relatively small one compared to other outcomes. Above I was attempting to show that there are pros to posting anonymously which outweigh the cons in expected value terms. I don’t think that changes the calculus.]
I also think it may not be a con exactly if that happens. Or it’s a pro and con nested together? Because I think EAs torpedoing people would be a serious issue that would need revealing. I don’t get why people wouldn’t want to use this moment to test the toxicity of the movement they want to be in tbh. Why would you just… not want to know if you’d be torpedoed? In that case it falls within #3 still: “If your critique is not well received… You can feel liberated to put your energy elsewhere.”
And if you get torpedoed, you can always write an expose about that and help people who might be in a similar situation in the future!
Maybe someday I’ll be torpedoed tbh. If this is a thing that leaders will do to anyone, I’m probably weird enough and have done misinterpretable enough things. Maybe I’d deserve it and maybe not, but either way I’d like to know if it’s going to happen so that I should move on. In case you can’t tell, I have already had concerns like the anons seem to have, but I’ve decided I wouldn’t like thinking “Is EA for me or not?” It’s not pleasant or motivating. Honestly it’s amazing how much that question drags down your potential. I want the answer not to live with the question. As long as I don’t get torpedoed when being myself (or develop serious problems with the movement), that answer is yes. Which is just much more workable. Why would I not want to know? EA is not like, sacred. It can and should be thrown out of your roster if it’s a bad fit or a problematic entity.
[Edit: I wonder if EAs just need to be taught these sorts of calculations?]