Motivation gaps: Why so much EA criticism is hostile and lazy — EA Forum
forum.effectivealtruism.org
Disclaimer: While I criticize several EA critics in this article, I am myself on the EA-skeptical side of things (especially on AI risk). …

includes considerable nonspecific shit-talking of assigned EA enemies, including - horrors! - Timnit Gebru talking about the social issues of the actually-existing AI-industrial complex. also it’s not a CASTLE it’s a MANOR HOUSE, you fools, you rubes,

  • blakestacey@awful.systemsMEnglish
    0·
    8 months ago

    Why did 3.6 million people watch this hour long video dunking on flat earthers? Because the topic of people believing crazy things is fun and interesting.

    Dan Olson’s In Search of a Flat Earth is most definitely not just an hour of dunking on flat-Earthers.

    It pivots to discussing QAnon at 37:30.

    From the comments:

    This just went from 0 to 100 real quick.

    Lord, the cry of pure anguish I gave out in response to that line…

    Props to the Qanon guy’s kid for standing up to him and saying “nobody’s gonna help you” when he kidnapped them, that must have been terrifying

    Occasionally rewatch this while dealing with the loss of my own parents to conspiracy lunacy. Even tried using this video to pull them back from the edge. Ended up precipitating cutting contact with them, something that has done wonders for my mental health. I have since realised they were deeper in than I thought, and were never going to listen to their child, and unlikely to listen to people they actually might have respected the opinions of.

    The person I used to consider my father now believes that viruses aren’t real and is getting deep into transphobia and Putin worship. He is likely to already be a holocaust denier. There is no bottom to the conspiracy theory abyss and few ever seem to find their way back from the depths.

    Thank you for crushing that last bit of remaining hope I didn’t even know I had.

    It’s honestly kind of chilling to see him effectively spending half an hour predicting the Jan 6th riot.

    “Fun and interesting”?

    • BlueMonday1984@awful.systemsEnglish
      0·
      8 months ago

      This Is Financial Advice would’ve been a much better video to make that point with - that video was about a financial doomsday cult centered around a dying mall retailer, and doesn’t start going into anything particularly heavy until near the end.

    • bobtreehugger@awful.systemsEnglish
      0·
      8 months ago

      Not to mention a lot of the first part is just honestly beautiful shots of nature, while showing the curve of the earth. There’s very little that’s dunking on flat-earthers. In fact, focusing on dunking on flat-earthers is something he criticizes other youtubers for in the video.