X-Message-Number: 9505
From: Ettinger <>
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 10:45:28 EDT
Subject: Consultation

CONSULTATION

Brief background: Mike Darwin and Brian Wowk, with the agreement of Saul Kent
and their organizations BP and 21CM, offered to visit Michigan for three days,
and to donate some equipment/supplies, to help CI improve its procedures. I
replied to the effect that we gave face value to their offer as a generous and
helpful effort, and would accept with thanks the items offered to be donated,
but thought a personal visit was not the most efficient way to optimize
progress. Instead, I said we would take advantage of their proffered
consultation when and as needed, at their convenience, by mail etc.  

Now Saul Kent (Cryonet # 9504), speaking for himself and Mike Darwin and Brian
Wowk and their organizations, indicates the offer was essentially all-or-
nothing, and withdraws the offer of donated supplies. He doesn't say whether
there remains any willingness to consult, but the impression conveyed is
negative.

There is no question in my mind of two things. First, we would benefit by
having Darwin/Wowk or 21CM/BP available for consultation (and also the other
organizations and their personnel, including Alcor and BioTime and Trans Time
and ACS, some of which or whom have helped from time to time).  Second, we
will make progress and improve our procedures in any event, by using the
public record and our own resources, including hired professionals. (And we
will continue our policy of making public, in due course, any information we
consider useful or significant, no strings attached.) 

In the past we have mostly refrained from asking for consultation for several
well known reasons. One was the competitive and even acrimonious spirit often
evident. Another was the fact of policies of other organizations including
non-disclosure agreements, confidential handbooks of procedure, reference to
patents pending or proprietary information, etc. 

If some of this has changed, fine. If 21CM/BP (or any other organization) is
willing to offer consultation in a pure spirit of helpfulness, we will gladly
accept it. In any case, with or without such help, we will continue to work
for progress and improvement to the best of our abilities and resources.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

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