In other forums and situations, there is a grace period where a user can comment after receiving a very long ban. I think this is a good feature that has several properties with long term value.
We have strong reason to believe that Charles He used multiple new accounts to violate his earlier 6-month-long ban.
These accounts are some of these accounts I created (but not all[1]):
making-this-account (this was originally “making this account feels almost as bad as pulling a Holden,” but was edited by the moderators afterwards).
Here are some highlights of some of the comments made by the accounts, within about a 30 day period.
Pointing out the hollowness of SBF’s business, which then produced a follow up comment, which was widely cited outside the forum, and may have helped generate a media narrative about SBF.
Jabbing at some dismal public statements of Eliezer Yudkowsky’s, and malign dynamics revealed by this episode. (Due to time limitations, I did not elaborate on the moral and intellectual defects of his justifications of keeping FTX funding, which to my amazement and disappointment, got hundreds of upvotes and no substantive dissension).
In a moderate way, exploring (blunting?) Oliver’s ill-advised (destructive?) strategy of radical disclosure.
A post making EAs aware of a major article revealing inside knowledge of SBF within EA, and this post was on a net, a release of tension in the EA community.
Trying to alleviate concerns about CEA’s solvency, and giving information about the nature of control and financing of CEA.
Defending Karnofsky and Moskovitz and making fun of them (this comment was the only comment Moskovitz has responded to in EA history so far).
Discouraging EA forum users from downvoting out of hand or creating blacklists/whitelists of journalists.
My alternate accounts were created successively, as they were successively banned. This was the only reason for subterfuge, which I view as distasteful.
I have information on the methods that the CEA team used to track my accounts (behavioral telemetry, my residential IP). This is not difficult to defeat. Not only did I not evade these methods, but I gave information about my identity several times (resulting in a ban each time). These choices, based on my distaste, is why the CEA team is “99% certain” (and at least, in a mechanical sense) why I have this 10 year ban.
- ^
Other accounts not listed, were created or used for purposes that I view as good, and are not relevant to the substance of the comment.
The only warning received on any of my alternate accounts was here:
This was a warning in response to my comment insulting another user. The user being insulted was Charles He.
I believe I am able to defend each of the actions on my previous bans individually (but never have before this). More importantly, I always viewed my behavior as a protest.
At this point, additional discussions are occurring by CEA[1], such as considering my ban from EAG and other EA events. By this, I’ll be joining blacklists of predators and deceivers.
As shown above, my use of alternate accounts did not promote or benefit myself in any way (even setting aside expected moderator action). Others in EA have used sock puppets to try to benefit their orgs, and gone on to be very successful.
Note that the moderator who executed the ban above, is not necessarily involved in any way in further action or policy mentioned in my comments. Four different CEA staff members have reached out or communicated to me in the last 30 days.