X-Message-Number: 4850
Date:  Wed, 06 Sep 95 13:07:24 
From: Steve Bridge <>
Subject: The importance of marketing cryonics

To CryoNet
>From Steve Bridge
September 6, 1995

In reply to:   Message #4846
               From: 
               Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 22:22:27 -0400
               Subject: Re: CryoNet #4836 - #4841

(and similar objections)

Les Garson said:

>I have to beg the question:  Whats this whole impetus about marketing
>cryonics?  Who cares!  I learned about cryonics after hearing an off hand
>comment and then, investigating the subject myself, out of my own 
>interest.  Why is it even necessary to "sell" it?
>I'd be much more interested in hearing comments, discussions about the
>viability of cryonics as a science, the fascinating ethical, social
>implications, and the philosophical musings of those who have given this
>subject serious thought.  Enough of this marketing stuff! Please!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

And Christian Alberto Garcia Sepulveda in Message #4837 said:

> I am so sorry about the actual use CRYONET list is getting, I 
> can almost remember when good scientific adds really got through instead 
> of all this Donahue-like MLM crap.

     Kevin Brown's response was very good.  I'd like to add some other 
thoughts.

     The success of cryonics depends on many factors, both technical and 
social.  For instance, it does not matter that the technical problems are 
solved, if society and governments are hostile to cryonics and prevent us 
from performing suspensions or from keeping patients in suspension.  Part 
of our "marketing" efforts are also basically "education."  We don't 
expect to turn everyone into cryonicists; but it is critical that we 
inform the general public well enough that there is at least general 
tolerance for our ideas and actions.

     Also, I firmly believe that if cryonics organizations remain the same 
size they are currently, we are all doomed.  The numbers, enthusiasm, and 
money will slowly dwindle until they all disappear, leaving a few 
survivors with bad memories and destroyed hopes.  

     Cryonics needs more people involved.  More people mean more ideas, 
more workers (to spread the stress from those of us working 70-80 hours a 
week on cryonics), and more MONEY.  We need a thousand times greater 
financing than we have available now to do research, to hire professional 
staff, to upgrade suspension equipment, to improve patient security, and 
many other needs.  That money will come only if one of us wins the lottery 
or if we gain many more members.

     No matter how much we discuss technology and science (and other 
aspects of cryonics) on this network, it is all just keyboard masturbation 
if we cannot afford to put these "fascinating" ideas *into practice.*  
Most of us in the leadership of cryonics are people who want to do 
something, not just talk about it.  Our lives are on the line; this is not 
a passive field.

     Having more members benefits cryonics organizations in many other 
ways that may be less apparent.  More members mean that we appear more 
stable and important to the general public.  Who can take cryonics 
seriously today with no more than 800 people in the entire world having 
made suspension arrangements?  More people than that collect string, claim 
to have been abducted by UFO's, or give their entire net worth to cults.  
Heck, Jim Jones did that well pushing Koolaid in Guyana.
 
     And more members means there will be people ready in the future to 
freeze ME and YOU, and to keep us frozen.

     CryoNet is meant to give us a chance to discuss cryonics -- all of 
it.  One of the concerns of many of us who have been in cryonics for years 
(18 years now for me) is "With all the publicity we have had, why aren't 
more people signed up?"  This is a critical question to answer, and some 
of the answers no doubt lie in understanding how to market this new idea.  
The discussions of multi-level marketing were part of that; and while 
perhaps they have gone on longer than absolutely necessary, I have gained 
many important insights from the discussion.  I hope others have, as well.

Steve Bridge, President
Alcor Life Extension Foundation

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