13 Comments
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Michael Dickens's avatar

I think there's an initialism that addresses 50% of your concerns while being much less than 50% of the length, thus making it more initial-effective:

EANTVGC = Effective Altruism (not the video game company)

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Fran's avatar

Sorry, I'm finding this comment pretty upsetting because I'm 100% sure that my idea is better, but your math is airtight. Difficult situation for me.

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Michael Dickens's avatar

You could always say that I'm Eulering you and my math can't be trusted (https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/08/10/getting-eulered/)

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Bob Jacobs's avatar

I also really disliked the name, even when I was still part of the movement, because it signaled/instilled that sense of superiority. If the open-minded analysis was supposed to be the point why not call it "Altruism Analysis", or AA for short... oh wait.

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Fran's avatar

When I get stuck like that, I find it useful to just continue adding letters!

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Bob Jacobs's avatar

Hmmm, what about the Alliance for Accelerating Applied Analysis of Advanced Altruistic Actions for Humanity, or AAAAAAAH!

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Jeroen Willems's avatar

It's worse in Dutch where effective (effectief) is commonly used to mean "real" or "actual". So it sounds like we claim only we practice real altruism.

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DS's avatar

YES! Finally, someone who gets that t-shirts are meant to be used to blow your nose (any t-shirts, not just the EAG ones though)

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Fran's avatar

It actually is pretty convenient yeah

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Jeroen Willems's avatar

You should've kept this banger in the drafts for April Fools 2026 on the EA forum!

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Fran's avatar

LMAOO that's exactly what this post originally was!! But then I realised it's the most EA thing ever to have only one designated day for EA satire, and I can't stand for that.

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Jeroen Willems's avatar

Hahaha ok that's very fair

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Sergio Diaz's avatar

Great post! but I have to object to using PAIMSCAAEWTTMUNUPU as the new name for EA, that’s already my Strava password

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