X-Message-Number: 32710
References: <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #37201 -- Guilty for existing
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:06:32 -0400
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In Message #32701, Mark Plus says:  

>The surprisingly negative comments appended to Kerry Howley's essay
>about male cryonicists and their hostile wives, as well as similar
>comments posted about it on other websites, make me judge this piece a
>failure in cryonics education and reputation building.


After examining a lot of comments on our local newspaper's articles over the 
years (our local library system's budget problems have sadly made headlines), I 
have concluded that only a handful of idiots routinely comment on these 
articles, and that they are not typical of the newspaper's readers or the 
general public.  I have never heard someone in person make a comment anywhere as
nasty as what is added to these web sites (against cryonics or against the 
library).  Yes, these people exist but the ability to type and to add comments 
to web sites does not equal an ability to think intelligently.  And for some 
reason people who are strongly motivated against a proposition are 100 times 
more likely to make comments on a web site than people who are for it.  People 
who are neutral don't take the time to post at all.
 

I don't think you can conclude ANYTHING about the public response to cryonics 
other than an article like this gives some generally hostile people another 
opportunity to show off what they think are clever, sarcastic responses.  
 

I've seen similar (but milder) responses live at cryonics talks only in one 
venue-- two talks given to members of MENSA.  Most of the questions were 
calculated to show off to the others how "clever" the speaker was.  Humorously 
-- and frustratingly -- most of the "clever" questions were less intelligent 
than I routinely get from middle school students.  And the MENSA people who 
asked the questions didn't appear to listen to the answers!  I have refused all 
invitations to speak at MENSA groups ever since.
 

All of this does not mean that the general public is hostile, supportive, or 
indifferent to cryonics.  You can tell nothing either way from these responses.
They are not evidence of anything other than the personality of the people who
like to post responses to newspapers.

Steve Bridge






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