X-Message-Number: 12034
From: "Martin S. Kardon" <>
References: <>
Subject: The marketing question and a call for unity
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 10:15:45 -0400

    The recent discussion regarding marketing of cryonics is interesting and
important. My personal interest is much stronger on this topic than on
uploading consciousness, turing machines, etc (although these subjects in
the right hands can make for a ripping good yarn).

    It seems to me as a relative newcomer that the marketing concept has
been, more or less, "build it and they will come." Get the first suspension
and revival completed and the masses will flock to the technology.

    While that might well occur the problem as I see it is a sort of "Catch
22".  In order to get the resources to tackle what is undoubtedly a much
more complicated issue than any of us can or want to contemplate a certain
critical mass of interested persons (with funding to follow) is essential.
While I really don't know I am getting the feeling that if there are 1,000
to 2,000 people actively interested and involved in cryonics that's alot.
Maybe I'm wrong, I hope I have underestimated the numbers.

    Even if I have underestimated them no one can doubt that getting more
people interested and involved will help move the cause and technology
forward.  My day job is in law and I tell you all that I have yet to find
anyone that I raise the topic with (though I don't actually prostelyze [sp?]
that much) who would take the subject seriously - had enough trouble
convincing my family.

    I think due consideration should be given to spreading the word and
allocating some resources to letting those around us know that we're not
just talking about a bag of frozen heads and a bunch of wacko pseudo science
snake oil salespersons.

    The best effort, in my personal opinion, in recent years was the
publication of First Immortal in mainstream paperback and that was really an
individual effort.  While it may not rise to the level of War and Peace
(apologies to Halperin) it covered many of the issues raised on this usenet
in a way accessible to a casual reader.

    The need to spread the information to others and the paucity of our
group is one reason I regret the tone of some of the discourse I see here.
While I have read with great interest Dave Pascual's psotings the past few
days [please keep it up] I regret the apparent tension between Platt and
him. There just aren't enough of us. While I hope I have greater depth of
intent than Rodney King ["can't we all just get along?"] I do know that if
we splinter too much forget speeding up progress, the ball will just stop.
There aren't enough of us here that we can afford to have anyone turn away
from the effort.  The recent departure of several interested and interesting
posters on cryonet is unfortunate.

    The efforts of Kent, et al. to institutionalize and capitalize the
efforts is a step in the right direction in the real world.  All beautiful
abstract ideas need feet of clay to walk this earth.  I'm still a dabbler
and a newbie [relatively] but I'd hope that among the plans of those who
have dedicated their lives to cryonics would be efforts to build a bigger
tent including everyone here now and others yet to heed the call.

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