Scott Alexander explores how minority views can be silenced through social censorship, using a 'first offender model' to explain the maintenance of taboos despite significant private support. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of social censorship, using a study on public support for eugenics as a starting point. He introduces a 'first offender model' to explain how a minority view can be effectively silenced despite having significant support. The post draws parallels between this model and a hypothetical policing strategy, where focusing on deterring the first offender of a particular crime can prevent others from following suit. Scott applies this concept to explain how taboos and social norms are maintained, even when a significant portion of the population might privately disagree. He reflects on how this insight changes his view on censorship, acknowledging that taboos might represent a 'tenuous coordination advantage' rather than overwhelming opposition. The post concludes by considering the implications of this model for debates about censorship and free speech. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander proposes the principle 'be nice, at least until you can coordinate meanness' and applies it to ethical dilemmas and blog moderation. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of 'be nice, at least until you can coordinate meanness' as a principle for ethical behavior and community management. He argues that while being nice is generally a good heuristic, there are cases where meanness might be necessary. However, he emphasizes that coordinated meanness (e.g., through legal systems or widely agreed-upon social norms) is preferable to uncoordinated individual acts of meanness. The post explores the benefits of coordination in terms of predictability, stability, and reduced frequency of meanness. Scott applies this principle to his blog moderation policy, allowing discussion of ideas but prohibiting direct attacks or shaming of individual commenters. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander organizes online groups for the game 'Fermat's Last Stand', providing player lists and DM contact information, and invites potential replacements to comment. Longer summary

Scott Alexander organizes players for the game 'Fermat's Last Stand' into three online groups led by different DMs (Scott, Charlie, and Karl), based on time zones, friendships, and belief diversity. He provides contact information for the DMs and lists the players in each group, requesting some to send their email addresses. Scott also mentions meatspace groups and a DM Google Group for coordination. He invites interested individuals who missed the initial coordination to comment with their details for potential replacement spots. Shorter summary