X-Message-Number: 29257
References: <>
From: Kennita Watson <>
Subject: Re: dead guy days
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 23:13:13 -0800

Charles Platt <> wrote:
>
> Any idiot (and in view of the record achieved by DePres, the
> word "idiot" is not an overstatement) can attract attention
> to cryonics. It remains one of the most effective media
> magnets.

I don't think that cryonics got as much airplay even at
the height of the Ted Williams fiasco as Anna Nicole Smith(?)
or OJ or the Challenger disaster or .... to call cryonics an
"effective media magnet" in any sense is to be amusingly full
of ourselves.

> But actually changing people's minds and getting
> them to sign up is one of the hardest PR challenges of all.

Absolutely.  And I don't think the job can be done by PR.
All PR can do is to make people aware of cryonics and its
potential.  Getting people to sign up requires more
one-on-one interaction.
>
> Unfortunately, the ease of attracting attention ("Look how
> many page views on my web site!") often deludes people into
> thinking that a) they have done something useful and b) those
> members are going to come rolling in. The opposite is usually
> the case.

I don't delude myself that members will come rolling in,
but I do hope to invite them.  I don't get the "opposite"
thing, though.  Please tell me what about my Web site is
driving people away from cryonics.
>
> The Watson web site is as clueless as one would expect.

It's true, I'm not an expert Web designer.  I also know
that I've only done about 5% (picking a number out of a
hat) of what I'd like to do with it eventually, but I've
seen too many people not start because they had to finish
first -- not my style.

> In
> many ways the Alcor web site is quite good, making one wonder
> about the need to reinvent this particular wheel;

Yes, in many ways the Alcor web site is quite good.
There are many kinds of wheels and many kinds of people
and many kinds of web sites.

> but of
> course any cryonics activist always wants to do something
> totally different,

Probably not totally different, but aimed at a different
audience.  A mag-wheel audience rather than a spoke-wheel
audience, perhaps (and maybe un person is going for an
in-line-skate-wheel audience) ;-) .

> and as for learning from other people's
> experience--that would be out of the question.

I think I've learned from other people's experience, and
taken other people's advice, where it seemed applicable and
useful.  "Stop what you're doing or disaster will ensue"
hasn't struck me as applicable or useful.  <snark>There, there,
Charles -- maybe Santa will bring you a disaster for
Christmas so you can say "I told you so.".</snark>

In any case, I'm open for suggestions for improvements to
make to gocryo.org (private email, of course, to save on list
chatter).  Thanks!  And suggestions for venues to do
presentations and/or participate in festivals/conferences/etc.
are always welcome.  Thanks!

Live long and prosper,
Kennita

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=29257