X-Message-Number: 18460
From: "George Smith" <>
References: <>
Subject: A suggestion.
Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 09:56:20 -0800

Ron Havelock wrote in Message #18457 in part in discussing reasons for
developing an "umbrulla" cryonics organization::

> I hear a concern for strained and overextended resources and talent.
> However, there are these needs that the current organizations can't or
won't
> meet.
>
> 1.  Objective, unaligned information clearinghouse. Helping users
understand
> their options and make intelligent choices. <snip>

This issue can be overcome by simple links on all websites to all other
websites.  I was with ALCOR before learning of CI but back then the internet
was not what it is today.  It only takes a few minutes to place a link to
other related groups.  I encourage all organizations to do this.

> 2.  A charitable foundation.  <snip>

The Venturists have stepped forward on this and could continue to do so.

> 3. A persistently pounding public relations office: pursuit of every
> opportunity to appear on radio and television and the print media.  <snip>

I have mixed feelings on this based only on WHO will say WHAT on the media
for cryonics.  Not that long ago there was a local radio talk program with
cryonicists on it but their pessimism was so great I think they were
probably driving people away without meaning to.  If the PR agency were
skilled in proper ad psychology then this would be productive.  Otherwise,
please keep the "realists" off the air!

> 4. An organizational home base for those who have serious interest but are
> unwilling or unable to commit to one or the other of the service providers
at
> this time.  <snip>

This has more to say about decision making being made easier, perhaps
through simplifying the sign up process, than anything else.  Why people
wait around trying to outguess the future by picking the "right" cryonics
organization is beyond me.  If you don't want to be radioactive get off
ground zero.  Any direction will do.  Change directions later when your are
outside the mortality kill zone.

> 5. We need an organizational home base for those who are so geographically
> remote from either Arizona or Michigan to have a realistic chance of
> cryopreservation.  <snip>

"Realistic"?  Until time travellers tell us the future criteria which will
absolutely work, this is the wrong word entirely.  I feel it creates
needless conflict.

It would be PREFERABLE to die close to your chosen organization to increase
the likelihood you will get "better" treatment (as guessed at by our
respective cryonics providers today) but this hubris about pretending to
know what will be REQUIRED is nonsense and creates problems between us.

I feel that this at the heart of all our current organizational differences,
a disagreement regarding what will probably be required by the future to do
the job.

IF we can tolerate the differing OPINIONS about this issue and continue to
pool efforts through communication cooperation, I can see where there could
be benefits.

But as long as the beliefs of some with a year 2002 grasp of medical
technology continue to be promoted as indicative of what will prove later to
be required by 2052 (pick your year) medical technology, we will continue to
have problems.

THIS IS UNNECESSARY.

I would suggest as a first step to improve communications between ourselves
that we remember carefully that our chromosome count (human) indicates that
we can make mistakes and be wrong, and that our track record for predicting
the details of the future ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES has
historically been well below chance!

A sensible degree of humility in regard to what WILL BE combined with our
best guesses of what MIGHT BE needs to rule our decisions and communications
if we don't want to go off in our own little stubborn directions instead of
forging stronger alliances within our tiny community.

Just my opinion,

George Smith
CI member

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