This is a list of apostates. The idea is not to actually detail the folks who do the most damage to the cult’s reputation, but to attack the few folks who were once members and left because they were no longer interested in being part of a cult. These attacks are usually motivated by emotions as much as a desire to maintain control over the rest of the cult; in all cases, the sentiment is that the apostate dared to defy leadership. Usually, attacks on apostates are backed up by some sort of enforcement mechanism, from calls for stochastic terrorism to accusations of criminality; here, there’s not actually a call to do anything external, possibly because Habryka realizes that the optics are bad but more likely because Habryka doesn’t really have much power beyond those places where he’s already an administrator. (That said, I would encourage everybody to become aware of, say, CoS’s Fair Game policy or Noisy Investigation policy to get an idea of what kinds of attacks could occur.)

There are several prominent names that aren’t here. I’d guess that Habryka hasn’t been meditating over this list for a long time; it’s just the first few people that came to mind when he wrote this note. This is somewhat reassuring, as it suggests that he doesn’t fully understand how cultural critiques of LW affect the perception of LW more broadly; he doesn’t realize how many people e.g. Breadtube reaches. Also, he doesn’t understand that folks like SBF and Yarvin do immense reputational damage to rationalist-adjacent projects, although he seems to understand that the main issue with Zizians is not that they are Cringe but that they have been accused of multiple violent felonies.

Not many sneers to choose from, but I think one commenter gets it right:

In other groups with I’m familiar, you would kick out people you think are actually a danger or you think they might do something that brings your group into disrepute. But otherwise, I think it’s a sign of being a cult If you kick people for not going along with the group dogma.

If I was trolling LW (which I’m not, I don’t have an account), I would reply with something like ‘yes, important to kick them out early so we don’t get a Free Zone situation’

great job, but there is still so much more to be done

Congratulations!

Guess who’s #1

Taylor Swift

Two cases that are a bit less clear, but still show some structural similarities: Peter Thiel, Sam Altman.

A bit less clear because these two have a bit more money to throw around, and damn would it be good if they started throwing some in our direction again

Context: Post #4 in my sequence of private Lightcone Infrastructure memos edited for public consumption.

(emphasis mine)

Look at this goober, trying to be THE cult leader.

Try to prevent “slums” forming where people who don’t meet your group’s standard congregate (this generally gets more likely the later you kick out people)

I think that this nets all of us here at sneerclub an honorable mention on the list. Good job, everyone!

Well done, bravo!

Okay this wasn’t as dramatic as thought it’d be. And the list seems to be merely alphabetic.

It’s some weird wrongthink policy initiative?

He should have mentioned SBF, whose red flags they spectacularly failed to notice despite so many people telling them to, but I guess that’s too painful of a thought lol