If you're new here, welcome! The EA Forum is a space for collaborative discussions about topics related to effective altruism. 

Consider introducing yourself on the latest open thread, exploring highlighted Forum posts, and signing up for the EA Forum Digest and the EA Newsletter.

New to effective altruism?

Learn about effective altruism

If you’ve just begun to learn about effective altruism (EA), try these resources:

1. Get a quick intro: effectivealtruism.org can act as a quick introduction, and links to a number of other resources.
2. Cover all of the basics: The EA Handbook covers a range of core concepts in effective altruism.
3. Take an online course on EA: The Introductory EA Program allows you to go through core EA ideas and readings with a small group of people. (You can find more virtual programs here.)
4. Stay up to date by getting a monthly email: sign up for the EA Newsletter, a monthly newsletter that compiles EA-related news from around the world and highlights some opportunities to get involved.

Connect with other people interested in effective altruism

Write on the Forum (or introduce yourself in the latest open thread) and comment on what others have written, explore local and virtual groups, and go to events. 

New to the Forum?

Explore & find things to read

• Sign up for the Forum Digest — a weekly email that shares some of the Forum team's favorite Forum posts of the week.
• Explore highlights from the Forum on our "Best of" page (you can also look at prize-winning posts and our Library of collections of related posts).
• Explore posts on different topics, like biosecurity, farmed animal welfare, moral philosophy, and cause prioritization.
• Sort all posts by different criteria, or just go to the Frontpage to see recent posts (which stay up for longer if they get more upvotes). 

Start engaging actively

You'll first need an account (sign up by clicking on the button in the upper-right-hand corner). With an account, you can:

• Introduce yourself
  • People use our monthly “open threads” to introduce themselves and talk about what they’ve been doing. This is a great way to make your first comment!
  • We also recommend writing a bio.
• Comment & upvote
  • Read posts, and provide feedback to the authors. Positive feedback can be especially valuable!
• Join online and local groups
  • Explore local and virtual groups, or go to events to connect with people who share your interests.
• Write a post
  • You can also write a full post to share your thoughts. 

You can check the Forum norms/rules to see when moderators might intervene and how (and what we encourage), and explore the "How to use the Forum" sequence for answers to frequently asked questions and more. 

Advice on writing?

Explore tips and resources. See what other people want someone to write about, look through project lists, and check this talk on writing on the Forum (from Aaron, who ran the Forum until 2020). 

Start small. You can post a "Quick take" with exploratory or draft-stage thoughts and ask for readers' feedback, or post a comment in the latest Open thread.

Get feedback. You can get feedback on ideas or actual drafts in the “Effective Altruism Editing and Review” Facebook group. 

You can find some here. 

Want us to add something to this page?

Just leave a comment, and we’ll consider your idea. Thanks for helping out! You can see an older version of this post here.