For example, internally we discussed whether we should ban Gleb from the EA Forum, which we run, for a three-month period. I think that this response would easily be warranted in light of Intentional Insights’ activities. But, for me, that proposal rang alarm bells of overreach: the EA Forum seems to me to be a community good, and it seems to me that CEA doesn’t have the legitimacy to take that action. But, unfortunately, neither does anyone else.
If done unilaterally, I think this would be overreach, so I’m really glad CEA has sought community input. However, the EA Forum, as I understand it, was always meant to be a community good run by the community. The EA Forum is currently maintained technically by non-CEA volunteers, non-CEA volunteers serve as community moderators, and the vast majority of content is written by people not affiliated with CEA. While I’m very grateful for everything CEA does to make this forum, and EA, a great place, I think claiming the EA Forum as run by CEA does a disservice to all the non-CEA work that myself and others have put into also making this forum great.
I agree, however, that it is a problem that there is no centrally agreed policy for handling bad actors or banning people from the forum. It’s lucky we haven’t had a problem with this yet, but I’d be really interested in seeing such a proposal. I’m glad CEA is taking a very community-focused approach to this and I’m interested in seeing what the community will come up with.
HI Peter—thanks for this comment. I didn’t mean to belittle all the non-CEA contribution to the forum, which is of course very great, and much greater than the CEA contribution to the forum. So I’m sorry if it came across that way. I only put in “which CEA runs” because I thought that many readers wouldn’t know that we are involved at all with the forum, and so wanted to give some explanation for why this might be an avenue of action for us at all. I’ve modified the text to “help to run” to make it more accurate.
If done unilaterally, I think this would be overreach, so I’m really glad CEA has sought community input. However, the EA Forum, as I understand it, was always meant to be a community good run by the community. The EA Forum is currently maintained technically by non-CEA volunteers, non-CEA volunteers serve as community moderators, and the vast majority of content is written by people not affiliated with CEA. While I’m very grateful for everything CEA does to make this forum, and EA, a great place, I think claiming the EA Forum as run by CEA does a disservice to all the non-CEA work that myself and others have put into also making this forum great.
I agree, however, that it is a problem that there is no centrally agreed policy for handling bad actors or banning people from the forum. It’s lucky we haven’t had a problem with this yet, but I’d be really interested in seeing such a proposal. I’m glad CEA is taking a very community-focused approach to this and I’m interested in seeing what the community will come up with.
HI Peter—thanks for this comment. I didn’t mean to belittle all the non-CEA contribution to the forum, which is of course very great, and much greater than the CEA contribution to the forum. So I’m sorry if it came across that way. I only put in “which CEA runs” because I thought that many readers wouldn’t know that we are involved at all with the forum, and so wanted to give some explanation for why this might be an avenue of action for us at all. I’ve modified the text to “help to run” to make it more accurate.
Thanks Will, I appreciate it!