X-Message-Number: 4286
Date:  Mon, 24 Apr 95 13:02:49 
From: Steve Bridge <>
Subject: Reaching people and research

To CryoNet
>From Steve Bridge, Alcor
April 24, 1995

In Reply to:  Message #4271
              Date: Sat, 22 Apr 1995 21:24:53 +0700 (TST)
              From: Robert Horley <>
              Subject: Re: Desperately Seeking Respectibility

     Thanks for your interesting post, Robert, and your repost of 
the fringeware "Natural Cycle of Mailing Lists."  You should be 
aware, Robert, that this is almost an  exact duplicate of the 
"Natural Cycle of Cryonics Groups" or space colonization groups or 
any other group filled with bright, hard-headed, contentious people.  
E-mail just makes it evolve faster!

     One other comment: 

>I would like to add
>however, that as well as not alienating potential customers it is 
>just as important to be welcoming of new "true believers" 
>notwithstanding how eccentric they may seem.

     "True believers" can be very beneficial to an organization, 
since that is where new ideas come from and how the work gets done.  
They can also destroy an organization, since they rarely recognize 
the connection between their ideas and the larger part of society.  
It is a very short step from "true believer" to a "fanatic" who is 
willing to do overt battle with governmental institutions and any 
other person or entity that does not immediately grasp the 
correctness of the true believer's ideas, even if that battle might 
risk the safety of patients already in suspension or the survival of 
the organization.

     We have had problems with that kind of person in Alcor on more 
than one occasion, although we have been fortunate that the majority 
of the leadership at any one time was able to stick to the main 
path.

     It doesn't take much of a stretch to imagine that cryonics 
fanatics can be extremely dangerous if they wish to make a point.  
Just look at Oklahoma City.


     Also, thanks to Saul Kent for his thoughts on reaching people 
interested in cryonics.

     Message #4274
     Date: 22 Apr 95 16:31:33 EDT
     From: Saul Kent <>
     Subject: Reaching People

     Saul had several intriguing viewpoints, which will affect my 
own public relations for Alcor.

     I especially liked the variations on:

>by supporting cryonics *now* (by signing up), you improve your 
>chances of being frozen under improved conditions later. 

     I do say this frequently, but not with near the emphasis it 
should have.

and:

>I cannot emphasize enough that putting money into research is money
>spent for advertising and promotion! It is, in my opinion, a far 
>better use of available resources than spending money for ads or 
>other forms of promotion.

     That is an important way to look at research.  It all works 
together.  But advertising in other ways, from articles to e-mail to 
radio shows to speeches to personal letters, also increases the 
possibility that we will find people to support the research (both 
financially and by participating in the actual work).  There is a 
certain chicken and egg problem here that always exists for new 
organizations and new ideas.  To some extent we must do both 
promotion and research and combine the efforts of both.  

Steve Bridge


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=4286