Posts

Comments

Comment by Anna M (anna-m) on Sum-threshold attacks · 2023-11-01T20:46:10.650Z · LW · GW

So, it would potentially require some dichotomy of self. Within this definition the sum-threshold attack is closely tied to the agent launching it. What if by slightly changing the environment we reach a certain threshold that it becomes the agent pushing us to enact further changes? You rescue a dog, but the dog really rescues you.

Good post. Made me think, so thx!

 

Ps. The movie is silly but the scene I was referring to was Amelie slightly moving a toothbrush and other things in the victim’s apartment leading to a spectacular collapse of that person’s routine and their rampant paranoia.

Comment by Anna M (anna-m) on Sum-threshold attacks · 2023-10-27T13:35:08.383Z · LW · GW

Good stuff. A positive look: an accumulation of small habits snowballing into major positive behavioral changes. Is it fair to say that all the "small habits", "tiny habits", "atomic habits", "I'm-just-waiting-for-the-publication-of pico habits" are a sum-threshold attack at the established behavioral patterns?

And for a sinister comedy view: Amelie Poulain's attack comes to mind.

Comment by Anna M (anna-m) on Accidentally Load Bearing · 2023-08-17T18:44:50.874Z · LW · GW

Reminds me of an old story about developing a FEM flutter simulation code that went through ONERA, DLR, and a bunch of other institutions and programmers using different languages. There was a line with a desperate comment: "I don't know what this loop is for, but I tried removing it and everything falls apart."