Milliongenerations:Criticism

This page is intended for criticism of milliongenerations.org, its cause and its approach. Please don't hold back. Kindly don't delete the opinion of others, even if you don't agree (feel free to clarify or regroup, though).

If you do like something about it or think something should be done (very or somewhat) differently, don't bother expressing it here, just improve site or discuss the relevant pages.

Criticism of the purpose of milliongenerations.org

Please add what you think is wrong or unhelpful about the cause or purpose of milliongenerations.org, what you don't like, or warn about the unwelcome results this effort could lead to or why you think it would be better if this site did not exist. Some risks have been discussed and were dismissed. You might not agree with their dismissal and you might have identified additional risks.

N.B. If on you have ideas how to do improve the purpose of this effort, please express them, e.g. by discussing or improving the motivation, the purpose or the {[Main Page]] of milliongenerations.org.

• It's not so clear that sustainability is the most appropriate frame. I think it suggests to people the question of how we can take what we have now and modify it so that it is indefinitely sustainable. But I think we need to keep the rocket engines on until we've reached escape velocity. Thus we may need to go deeper into a phase of unsustainability first in order to get to a different kind of sustainability at the other end (say rapidly outwardly expanding but inwardly sustainable multi-galaxy super-high-tech civilization with posthuman population size maybe billions of times greater than now...!) It is true that issues of sustainability can arise even in a context of posthuman super-technology (see e.g. Nick Bostrom's article on the future of human evolution and Hanson's paper on burning the cosmic commons). Yet it does cast the present challenge in a different light. I believe the current focus should be not be so much to get into the right kind of state but to get onto the right kind of trajectory. (27 Oct 2008)
• I would tend to put a bit more weight also not just on sustainable civilization but on sustainable people. I don't see human persons as disposable so long as civilization survives. Thus, I'm interested in life extension, cryonics, etc. Moreover, I don't think success should be measured in the number of additional generations there will be. The number of additional quality-adjusted life-years would be closer to the mark, but still not exactly right, in my opinion. (27 Oct 2008)
• You're wasting your time. As Stephen Hawking says “Our only chance of long term survival is to … spread out into space.” Abandon ship!
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Criticism of the intent to engage everyone interested in a public discussion

Please add what you think is wrong or unhelpful about the intent of milliongenerations.org to ask everyone interested (e.g., rather than only experts) in a public discussion on the internet that is visible to all (rather than e.g., a closed discussion or peer review journal article). If you have suggestions on how to do it better, feel free to discuss or improve the respective topics directly.

• It lets people express their views even if they are wrong or have bad intentions
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Criticism of the perspective / the way of thinking imposed by milliongenerations.org

Please add what you think is wrong or unhelpful about the approach of milliongenerations.org to ask what follows from the assumption and to keep a firm focus on philosophical questions about the long term future rather than taking actions to change the present. If you have suggestions on how to do it better, feel free to discuss or improve the respective topics directly. If you want to take actions to achieve a sustainable civilization, please do so or engage with other initiatives.

• Such thinking does not lead to practical steps. I'd rather do something. (May 08)
• Thinking about the end of the earth is psychologically challenging, unpleasant. (11 Feb 09)
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Criticism of the environment / platform used by milliongenerations.org

Please add what you think is wrong or unhelpful about the environment of milliongenerations.org, the environment or the prize concept used or envisioned for the discussions. If you believe it can be improved, please discuss or improve the respective sites, e.g. on the environment.

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Criticism of the handling of the Foundation milliongenerations.org in its handling of this site

Please add what you think is wrong or unhelpful about the way the Foundation milliongenerations.org organizes or handles the site or communicates the existence and cause of milliongenerations.org. If you think it can be improved, please list or discuss what needs to be done and consider getting involved with the Foundation by making yourself available to be elected to the board.

• The questions are too abstract and boring. It doesn't interest people.
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Other criticism

Just add whatever criticism that doesn't fit anywhere else...

• All this phony order and structure and imposing paternalism just drive me nuts!!!!!
• Den ganzen Scheiß hier kann ich nicht lesen.
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