I’m referencing this Slate Star Codex post: https://slatestarcodex.com/2013/06/14/the-virtue-of-silence/
So not indiscriminate silence, but more like avoiding spreading infohazards, contributing to inflammatory and unproductive conversations, sharing cruel gossip, that sort of thing. Scott makes the point that this is a very difficult virtue to practice, because by its nature it’s sort of impossible to get noticed and praised for it.
BTW we now think we’ve gotten back to everyone! We are still working through our remaining interviews so haven’t finalized all the decisions yet, but everyone who applied should at least have heard back with a yes/no/interview. If you haven’t, feel free to reach out on here or via fellowships@ftx.com!
probably sometime February-April?
fellows starting to come in ~1.5 months, so before then there will be fewer EAs and less infrastructure set up before then (though still some)
I expect highest density of people being here from current round of fellowships/visits to be from late January through late May, more uncertainty after that
weather is best in December-March, worst in June-September (unless you like hurricanes)
Just noting that applications close tomorrow, and want to say we really appreciate all the applications!
We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number and quality of the applications and expect it’ll take a bit of time to go through them all; still planning to get back to everyone one way or another by 12⁄1 but don’t be alarmed if you haven’t heard back yet or don’t hear back right away.
oops sorry, should work now!
FTX moved there due primarily to the friendly regulatory environment: on crypto specifically, they’re basically the first country in the world to put out a comprehensive framework for crypto regulation, while most countries have been working on this for years and will probably still be working on it for years to come. More generally, the government seems excited about encouraging tech/innovation and cutting back on red tape.
It’s a fairly small country, and I think if a lot of EAs move there EA could end up being a somewhat influential force in the country: as is I think there’s a decent chance of a lot more crypto moving there and it becoming somewhat of a crypto/fintech hub.
Other nice things: easy travel to the US, low tax, beaches!
(It’s not perfect and actually shares many of the downsides people often talk about re: the Bay Area :P cost of living/housing is pretty high, crime rate is high, and transit/amenities aren’t the best. But I’d guess the benefits make it worth having an EA community there.)
Haven’t decided on a minimum, was figuring we’d see how long people want to stay/what their other commitments are and work around that
To some extent TBD: this is a bit experimental. That said, some examples of who I’d imagine this might be a good fit for:
people working on PhD writing or research that can be done remotely
EA group organizers who want to spend time coworking with each other in person
people founding startups and looking for space from their current routines
But also just excited to see what applications we get!
Yep definitely not intended to impose a financial strain on anyone! Since travel, housing, and office space will be paid for, we intended $10k as a reasonable amount for expenses above that. But it wasn’t chosen super carefully, so we can run some numbers and increase it if it seems like more will be helpful.
Agreed, that is unfortunate and seems like an important part of what’s going on.