If you're not an expert in a field that has inforisks and are unsure whether your question could be hazardous or not, where do you go?
Perhaps I am being too security minded, but I feel like typing questions into a search engine or chatbot or publicly posting does not always seem like a good idea. When I monitor my own thoughts, I am impressed by how seriously weird but potentially plausible some of them seem. My rational mind isn't really sure what to do with them so they just remain buzzing about my brain and I'm not sure that's a good use of brainspace.
This is assuredly not a mental health concern, but it is a real quandary and I wish I knew what to do about it. I have no idea whether or not my questions/ thoughts are absurd, really dumb or whether some might be legitimate or even potentially useful in relation to threats that the community is concerned about. That feels bad and I wonder if others are experiencing anything like this.
I would really appreciate advice. If others have similar concerns, please pipe in. If this is a problem that is getting in the way of working on important problems, that would be good to know and could potentially be turned into an opportunity.
Hi more better,
Yeah, I can relate, these sorts of situations can be tough.
I work on the biosecurity & pandemic preparedness team at Open Philanthropy. In the realm of biosecurity at least, I'm happy to be a resource for helping troubleshoot these sorts of issues, including both general questions and more specific concerns. The best way to contact me, anonymously or non-anonymously, is through this short form.
Importantly, if you're reaching out, please do not include potentially sensitive details of info hazards in form submissions – if necessary, we can arrange more secure means of follow-up communication, anonymous or otherwise (e.g., a phone call).
Thank you, @cwbakerlee and @Jeff Kaufman . I appreciate this.