Scott Alexander provides fifteen pieces of writing advice for aspiring bloggers, emphasizing authenticity, avoiding microdishonesty, mastering basic disciplines before breaking rules, and finding original angles on common topics rather than recycling blogosphere content. Longer summary

Scott Alexander offers fifteen pieces of writing advice for participants in Lighthaven's Inkhaven blogging bootcamp, covering topics from avoiding microdishonesty to finding original angles on common subjects. He discusses the importance of authenticity in writing, warns against clichés while acknowledging their ubiquity, and introduces the concept of 'mountaintop disciplines'—strict writing rules to master before breaking them. The advice spans structural concerns like avoiding tangled sentences and the traditional five-paragraph essay, to strategic considerations like injecting first-hand knowledge rather than recycling blogosphere topics, and tactical tips about using conflict and mystery to maintain reader interest. Throughout, Scott emphasizes that good writing comes from genuine contact with the world and honest expression of one's actual thoughts, rather than attempting to say what seems presentable or expected. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines a study showing that Napoleonic reforms led to better economic outcomes, challenging the idea that evolved systems are always superior to designed ones. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a 2009 paper by Daron Acemoglu et al. that challenges the idea that organically evolved systems are superior to designed ones. The study found that areas invaded by Napoleon and subjected to radical institutional reforms experienced more rapid economic growth. Scott explores the implications of this study, its potential limitations, and how it challenges common beliefs about the superiority of evolved institutions over designed ones. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores why users of a simple dating site often fail to indicate interest online but agree to dates in person, suggesting that the difficulty of asking someone out serves as a valuable signal. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the unexpected behavior of users on a dating site called Reciprocity, where people can indicate interest in their Facebook friends anonymously. He notes that many users, including himself, would agree to date someone in person but not check their name on the site. Scott theorizes that this counterintuitive behavior might be because asking someone out in person is a stronger signal of interest due to its inherent awkwardness and difficulty. He compares this to systems where bureaucracy or pain serves as an active ingredient, sending a stronger signal than a simple checkbox. The post concludes by cautioning against assuming we can easily improve complex social systems. Shorter summary