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Is this the missing piece? The real reason dude is overreacting? Because there’s definitely a missing piece to this narrative of persecution by last name-revealing.

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I know a decent bit about Scott. 1) I'm a huge fan. So take the rest for what you will. 2) Claims that he's basically already doxxed are mostly false. Many know his last name but many more don't and e.g. I wasn't able to find it easily from public info. (cont'd)

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3) His writing can be rough around the edges--some of his pieces likely go overboard, especially when he feels emotionally strongly about the subject. 4) Many really do not like him. To some extent the strength of the sentiment against him is an argument for anonymity. (cont'd)

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5) I have no personal knowledge about the death threats etc. My best guess is that they're mostly just crackpots. 6) It's true it would likely inhibit his career to be doxxed. OTOH I think that it's really hard to maintain the two sides of his life that he does. (cont'd)

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7) The truth is that it makes no sense for him to keep up his day job. His blog is enormously more impactful, and I'm guessing fulfilling as well. 8) My honest guess is that there's a decent argument he's best off self-doxxing. (cont'd)

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9) There's a power in being public and owning it, although he would definitely be immediately 'canceled', so to speak. 10) I think that, as scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=4870 wrote, it's pretty shocking he hasn't been fully doxxed yet. (cont'd)

scottaaronson.blog

Pseudonymity as a trivial concession to genius

Update (6/24): For further thoughts and context about this unfolding saga, see this excellent piece by Tom Chivers (author of The AI Does Not Hate You, so far the only book about the rationalist co…

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11) But the biggest thing this is all missing is in Scott's personality. He can be intensely shy and reserved in person--not what you'd expect from his blog! The combination of a bunch of traits means that I think he is really personally scared of being public. (cont'd)

6:43 PM · Jun 24, 2020Twitter Web App

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12) You'd read some of his more passionate posts and think "I wouldn't be able to get a word in edgewise talking to him!" You meet him in person and think "this guy would never express himself or what he thinks!" (cont'd)

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13) And so in the end I think a lot of this is less that he would be in large physical danger--and more that it would be intensely unpleasant and disruptive. Which I guess begs the question: when do we respect anonymity, and when do we reveal info we found ourselves? (cont'd)

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