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Simon de la Rouviere's avatar

Great read. This actually reminded my of slatestarcodex's "Meditations on Moloch" (https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/07/30/meditations-on-moloch/). It's interesting to re-read it in the context of 2023.

Inexorable oozification reminds me of the inexorable multi-polar traps described in that essay. Even mentions "crypto-equity" and the cost of making things that can't be "put down".

"People are using the contingent stupidity of our current government to replace lots of human interaction with mechanisms that cannot be coordinated even in principle."

I like this conclusion as it compares the trap (a swamp?) vs the garden.

"The opposite of a trap is a garden. The only way to avoid having all human values gradually ground down by optimization-competition is to install a Gardener over the entire universe who optimizes for human values."

I don't agree with the principle of slatestarcodex's conclusion, but I found the visions similar. Yours is just more realistic and accepting rather than the sort of scared tone of SSC. Protocolization is coming for all of everything and we can accept it, or, as slatestarcodex puts it: want to fight and install a Gardener over it all.

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Johann's avatar

Reading this, I have two questions/thoughts (and no definite answers):

- Is fear of Oozification turning people into reactionaries?

- What is my personal tolerance limit for oozification (and how can I work on increasing it, while at the same embrace the change it brings with it)?

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