X-Message-Number: 7184 From: (Randy) Subject: Re: olaf henny comments on SF recruiting Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 15:13:15 GMT Yes, Olaf, when I first discovered cryonics I was also very interested in how to get other people interested in cryonics. Yes, I loved SF as a kid and I know that many others interested in cryonics had the same background. As you have seen from the replies to your questions, the long-time cryos and leaders of the companies have made substantial efforts at recruitment at various SF functions (conventions, etc). In a more general sense, I have come to wonder if the entire "recruitment" scenario may not be somewhat less promising that one might think. I recall a message in the cryonet archive saying that the most successful publicity vehicles were not all that successful. For example the Omni articles/contest reached several million people but resulted in the signup of only a dozen people or so. The Dora Kent episode was supposedly a bit more successful, though it entailed a costly series of legal wrangles. I wonder how many people saw the recent Discovery Channel show? It was shown several times in primetime spots. Must have been millions. How many people have called Alcor, I wonder (although no 1-800 number was given). Maybe I'm wrong, but haven't most people been recruited into cryonics through a friend/acquaintance? Is that venue actually more numerically successful than media publicity? Randy Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=7184