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TheDag  Per Aspera ad Astra  1yr ago (text post)   3095 thread views

Calling all Lurkers: Share your Dreams of Effortposting

It’s been pointed out recently that the topics discussed in the Culture War thread have gotten a bit repetitive. While I do think the Motte has a good spread on intellectual discussion, I’m always pushing for a wider range (dare I say diversity?) of viewpoints and topics in the CW thread.

I was a lurker for years, and I know that the barrier between having a thought and writing a top level comment in the CW thread can loom large indeed. Luckily I’m fresh out of inspiration, and would love to hear thoughts from folks about effortposts they want to write but haven’t gotten around to.

This of course applies to regulars who post frequently as well - share any and all topics you wish were discussed in the CW thread!

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Not exactly a lurker but stuff that's been sitting in my "i really ought the finish one of these and post it" folder

  • Inferential distance: permissive vs contested enviroments (it's not paranoia if people are actually out to get you)

  • Inferential distance: choosing life, love, and civilization over rationality

  • Inferential distance: internal vs external loci of control (even with a gun to your head there is always a choice)

  • Understanding the Appeal: why certain adaptations of a work are successful

  • On legacy sequels and nostalgia bait: Original Top Gun vs Top Gun Maverick, ST TNG vs ST Picard, Karate Kid vs Cobra Kai etc...

  • a commentary on/review of Barry Lyndon

  • a commentary on/review of Paths of Glory

  • a commentary on/review of Hoosiers

  • discipline vs technology, and internet culture war vs meat-space shoot-you-in-the-face war

  • a compilation of/expansion upon my old east Africa posts from /r/Themotte and SSC

  • a compilation of/expansion upon my old Iraq posts from /r/Themotte and SSC

I'm interested in the first three. Especially the third. I abhor the postmodern assertion that free will is an illusion on a visceral level and would love to read some discussion here about that.

Imo we could definitely use more firsthand Africa posts. Or at least I like to read them.

I’d love to read your inferential distance posts. I often find myself wishing I could go back to the days before utilitarianism, determinism, and other non-values based belief systems convinced me of their logic. While those sorts of beliefs may be more true in some cosmos sense, they certainly have far less utility on a personal basis. Ironic.

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