META: Singularity Action Group attempting to recruit SL4 members

From: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky (sentience@pobox.com)
Date: Mon Apr 28 2003 - 17:14:02 MDT


I've been notified that Mike Deering of the "Singularity Action Group" has
been trying to recruit new posters to SL4. SAG was formed by Mike Deering
and Alan Grimes as an attempted "spoiler" against SIAI, after they were
kicked off SL4 for failing to meet posting standards. As far as I can
tell, the entire thing is based solely on personal animosity toward me.
SAG appears to be a completely crackpot endeavor with no resources, good
ideas, or intelligent people.

Since a number of people have apparently had the bright idea of joining
SAG to "spy" on it, I would like to repeat my advice of not feeding their
need for attention. As I wrote in my last message to the ill-fated
SingularityAction mailing list:

> An interesting anecdote: During Israel's early days, there existed a
> certain terrorist organization. Mossad infiltrated this organization so
> thoroughly that they later found that one in ten members was a Mossad
> agent. Moreover, they later found that the only reason the organization
> had been staying afloat was that the Mossad agents were the only ones
> actually paying their dues.
>
> I'd thus like to advise everyone not to join organizations unless they
> really, truly believe that the organization will be effective and is
> something they wish to be part of. Otherwise, everyone joins a bad effort
> "to keep an eye on it" and keeps it alive where the effort would otherwise
> have died a quiet death.

Aside from this warning to anyone who may not be aware of SAG's status or
history, I don't believe that anything needs to be done about SAG. We
have other things to worry about. Please pay SAG no mind, and go about
your business. They are neither good enough to help nor evil enough to
oppose.

-- 
Eliezer S. Yudkowsky                          http://intelligence.org/
Research Fellow, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence


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