X-Message-Number: 27195
From: "David Pascal" <>
Subject: Infamy?
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 01:10:39 -0400

'Flavonoid' wrote:

>>Over 6 months ago, David Pascal posted the following fund appeal for
"Cryonics Society"... Since then, Cryonet has heard nothing from him.  The
Cryonics Society web page is still functional, soliciting donations.  I have
through other venues heard that many sent donations, but that few, if any,
have received feedback on how their donations were used.  The donations were
supposed to be for direct advertising for cryonics.  Few, if any, have
received feedback on the results of any such advertising efforts.  Perhaps
Mr. Pascal would be so kind as to provide a report? <<

A summary of the report Flavonoid is asking for was posted to the Cryonics
Society's news page on May 23.  It stated:  "On the heels of its latest
direct marketing effort in May 2005, the Cryonics Society has so far managed
to reach a total of over 35,000 Americans with its clear and positive
pro-cryonics message."  

The mailing was put together and sent by Mail Technologies Incorporated of
Rochester, New York, via the United Postal Service, which is a matter of
public record.  The text and contents of the mailing were posted on the CS
web site.  The announcement on the CS news page did not add that the web
site itself has managed to gather over 20,000 discrete visitors in the last
few months of operation.  

Which means?  That between the site and the mailings, the Cryonics Society's
direct advertising methods have reached over 50,000 individuals.  So far.

Was the direct mail effort a success?  That depends on how you look at it.
Financially, it was not.  A successful direct mail effort is one that makes
enough money to pay for its own costs of production, and that also makes
enough of a profit to enable sending the mailing out again.  That didn't
happen.  

But the mailing wasn't entirely a failure either.  People did read it and
did respond with calls, memberships, and donations.  What the ultimate
benefits of that kind of promotion may prove to be, no one knows.  I
understand Saul Kent decided to support cryonics after hearing Robert
Ettinger talk about it on a radio show.  The benefits to the cryonics
movement from that small radio presentation turned out to be measured in the
millions.

The CS mailing effort did confirm that people will respond to some degree to
a direct mail effort.  It also gave, for the first time, some hard data
about the general public's responses to cryonics.  Negative feedback from
the public was virtually nil, for instance.  The idea in some quarters of
the cryonics movement is that there is a great well of public and religious
hostility to the idea of cryonics.  There isn't a rush to embrace cryonics;
but there isn't a passionate desire to reject it, either.  

The Cryonics Society had hoped for a better public response.  It had also
hoped for greater financial help and possibly volunteer support from the
cryonics community.  That didn't materialize either.  Contrary to what some
people seem to assume, CS received no major gifts or large financial
donations from the cryonics community.  A number of individuals did join,
and their membership fees and good wishes were very welcome and very
heartening.  

But the overwhelming burden of the costs was shouldered by CS President Nick
Pavlica.  Who in my opinion deserves the applause and thanks of the cryonics
community for his commitment and his efforts.   

What is the Cryonics Society doing now?  Persevering.  Currently it's
completing its formal incorporation as a legal nonprofit corporation, after
which it plans to explore further promotional efforts which at the moment
favor internet marketing. 

The Society is also actively trying to attract the interest of journalists
and magazines, and get cryonics mentioned favorably in potentially
sympathetic venues.  We hope to have an article about cryonics placed in
Mensa Journal in the near future, for instance.  The Society is keeping to
its commitment to better inform the public, by upgrading its web site to
feature collections of free ebooks and other downloadable materials, and of
relevant newsfeeds at the www.cryonicssociety.org/futurefeeds page. 

Limited financial support from the cryonics community has meant that the
Society has fewer resources to provide planned items like the Society
newsletter and a projected book, and those have taken longer to complete
than had been anticipated.  But those projects have not been discontinued,
and we expect the newsletter to debut later this month.

As far as Cryonet goes, it's true that the Cryonics Society hasn't posted
regularly here. But then the Cryonics Society was established to try to
present a better picture of cryonics to the general public, not to talk to
other cryonicists.  Also, there's an unfortunate tradition on Cryonet of
harsh extended argument.  That doesn't help cryonics, but it does serve to
present cryonics and the bickering cryonicists involved in an extremely
negative and harmful light, one that Google is now helping to make forever
accessible worldwide.  

The Cryonics Society doesn't want to be a part of that.  News about CS site
upgrades or organizational developments are posted on our site, and will be
announced in newsletters.  If you would like to know what's going on at CS,
visit www.CryonicsSociety.org and its news page or subscribe.   

'Flavonoid' also wrote:

>> I guess we will have to put this particular fundraiser in the Despres
Hall of Infamy.<<

A direct mail fundraising effort which put a solid case for supporting
cryonics in front of over 35,000 people is a historic first, and a good
thing, and every reasonable supporter of cryonics should welcome it.  

The simple fact is that cryonics will never succeed until and unless it
succeeds with the general public, and anything that advances such acceptance
and support is the most important thing one can do to support cryonics.  The
one organization out there today that is most focused on that goal is the
Cryonics Society.  That's why I continue to support it.  That's why everyone
should. The Cryonics Society made an effort that few in the community have
ever attempted, and should be congratulated for it, not condemned.  


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