Transparency has costs, but potentially so does opacity (in terms of both loss of trust and reduced consideration for decisions that don’t need to be justified externally). Arguably both apply here: the decision obviously wasn’t uncontroversial, and the decision making process sounds quite limited for a significant commitment in a novel area. It’s also possible some of that information that wasn’t shared or subsequent metrics (I don’t think anyone is asking for original research here) would actually cast the original decision in a more favourable light
I also think its notable EA organizations and figures have made a lot of noise criticising non-EA philanthropy for lack of transparency and rigour in the past, and a norm of exempting EA organizations from calls for such scrutiny is probably worse than oversharing. In this particular case the how effective a use of funds might it have been? question isn’t arbitrary, it’s actually core to the EA mission, and might actually be useful to the people who think there is future value in EA events space as well as the doubters.
Transparency has costs, but potentially so does opacity (in terms of both loss of trust and reduced consideration for decisions that don’t need to be justified externally). Arguably both apply here: the decision obviously wasn’t uncontroversial, and the decision making process sounds quite limited for a significant commitment in a novel area. It’s also possible some of that information that wasn’t shared or subsequent metrics (I don’t think anyone is asking for original research here) would actually cast the original decision in a more favourable light
I also think its notable EA organizations and figures have made a lot of noise criticising non-EA philanthropy for lack of transparency and rigour in the past, and a norm of exempting EA organizations from calls for such scrutiny is probably worse than oversharing. In this particular case the how effective a use of funds might it have been? question isn’t arbitrary, it’s actually core to the EA mission, and might actually be useful to the people who think there is future value in EA events space as well as the doubters.