3 ms·

Does Scott Aaronson speak for the tech community now? I'll take Scott Alexander over Mark Twain any day, and this is my my belief and not hyperbole, thank you

Does Scott Aaronson speak for the tech community now? I'll take Scott Alexander over Mark Twain any day, and this is my my belief and not hyperbole, thank you very much. So what? People disagree over the internet, big whoop. What's your comment supposed to achieve exactly? Chastize us for our profanity? Recast our sincere appreciation as mere hyperbole? Please.

tptacek 6y ago
So what? If I'm honest, I'd take Dominic Armato, the guy who wrote the Top Chef Power Rankings, over James Joyce. But, for obvious reasons, I wouldn't write a public appeal suggesting that Armato is more important than Joyce.
- norswap 6y ago
  But, why not? If you believe Dominic Armato is that good, why not try to convince other people he's worth looking into? (I agree that in any case, making rankings of writers isn't very useful.) Aaronson wasn't trying to make an appeal that Scott Alexander should be elevated to the level of Mark Twain. It was just his honest opinion (or, maybe, hyperbole - I'm not in Scott Aaronson's brain), stated while discussing why doxxing Scott Alenxander is bad. If that - speaking your mind on the level you believe someone to be at - is bad, then it certainly isn't obvious to me.
  - tptacek 6y ago
    Because I have enough perspective to know that my appreciation for a blogger who did a good job writing power rankings for a reality show does not indicate they achieved something on the same level as James Joyce.
    - norswap 6y ago
      Fine, but then it's a question of nuance - you could say James Joyce's command of the English language is better for instance (or whatever, this is just an example). Saying that one believes it would be as bad to lose Scott's writing as Twain's is not saying he believes Scott should be thaught in English classes. It's just in essence saying "I value this a whole damn lot".

3 ms·

Does Scott Aaronson speak for the tech community now? I'll take Scott Alexander over Mark Twain any day, and this is my my belief and not hyperbole, thank you

by norswap 6y ago

tptacek 6y ago
So what? If I'm honest, I'd take Dominic Armato, the guy who wrote the Top Chef Power Rankings, over James Joyce. But, for obvious reasons, I wouldn't write a public appeal suggesting that Armato is more important than Joyce.
- norswap 6y ago
  But, why not? If you believe Dominic Armato is that good, why not try to convince other people he's worth looking into? (I agree that in any case, making rankings of writers isn't very useful.) Aaronson wasn't trying to make an appeal that Scott Alexander should be elevated to the level of Mark Twain. It was just his honest opinion (or, maybe, hyperbole - I'm not in Scott Aaronson's brain), stated while discussing why doxxing Scott Alenxander is bad. If that - speaking your mind on the level you believe someone to be at - is bad, then it certainly isn't obvious to me.
  - tptacek 6y ago
    Because I have enough perspective to know that my appreciation for a blogger who did a good job writing power rankings for a reality show does not indicate they achieved something on the same level as James Joyce.
    - norswap 6y ago
      Fine, but then it's a question of nuance - you could say James Joyce's command of the English language is better for instance (or whatever, this is just an example). Saying that one believes it would be as bad to lose Scott's writing as Twain's is not saying he believes Scott should be thaught in English classes. It's just in essence saying "I value this a whole damn lot".