X-Message-Number: 9710
Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 10:17:14 -0400 (EDT)
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: Surveys

Virtually all cryonicists are inhumanly obstinate. Therefore, when a
cryonicist asks for comments on an idea, if you think that the idea has
problems there's generally no point in responding, because any negative
comments will be ignored. I have seen this again and again. 

Still, being inhumanly obstinate myself, I'm going to make a few comments 
about surveys, even though I confidently expect my comments to be ignored 
like all the rest.

First, a survey of signed-up cryonicists may be more useful than a survey
of people who have chosen not to sign up, because it teaches us who to
look for, rather than who to avoid. I already conducted a survey of
signed-up Alcor members several years ago; the results were tabulated in
Alcor's CRYONICS magazine.

Of course Scott Badger may have the notion that if he samples people who
aren't interested in cryonics, he will learn how to CHANGE THEIR MINDS. I
believe this will not be very productive, because we should be selling
something that people do want, rather than something that people don't
want.  Also, if people are dubious about cryonics to begin with, they're
going to be a lot more dubious after they read the warnings in cryonics
signup documents. 

On Thu, 14 May 1998, Scott Badger wrote:

> Personally, I am only mildly
> annoyed when I receive solicitations or get-rich-quick
> schemes in the e-mail. 

You are atypical. VERY atypical. Are you aware the history of spam, and
the bad things that happen to people who send it? Be prepared to be
harassed in some ingenious ways before your email account is finally
yanked by your ISP as a result of complaints from your recipients. Of
course you can use a temporary "sacrificial" account, but then you're
tacitly admitting that you are expecting backlash from people who won't
appreciate your mail. 

> I understand that some people are though, and many resent the
> intrusion.  On the other hand, I think the average person
> is familiar with the existence and the legitimate
> need for genuine consumer surveys. 

So, you do agree that some people will resent being bothered, but you're 
going to bother them anyway? Are you sure that this is a good idea? And 
speaking as an average person who is familiar with consumer surveys, I am 
totally unconvinced that they serve any legitimate need, other than the 
need of someone to sell something.

> I have one friend who
> greatly appreciates the opportunity to provide consumer input
> because she wants her needs recognized and catered
> to. 

But does she feel any need for cryonics? I can understand someone wanting 
to respond, say, to a political survey. But a survey to determine why 
most people don't want their heads frozen might produce a different 
response. 

> Successfully identifying and servicing the needs of
> consumers simply requires accurate data gathering.  I am
> not inclined to ignore a powerful medium such as the internet
> simply because it has been abused by some.

Your own plan would constitute abuse in the minds of many, perhaps most
net users. 

> I would prefer to do a random sampling of the general population.
> It's too early to do target marketing.

But target marketing is the only kind that has produced results. Ads in 
some niche publications have netted some cryonics activists, over the 
years. I would say just the opposite: since cryonics is still in the R&D 
phase without a working product, it's too early to take it to the general 
population of consumers. The only signup prospects, for the next few 
years at least, are atypical consumers.

Still, if you do proceed with your survey despite everyone's objections
(as I assume you will), I hope you will include a question such as, "If
cryonics could be proved to work, would you be more inclined to pay money
for it?" 

--CP

PS. One last comment on obstinacy. Even if your survey does yield 
interesting, valid results, most cryonicists will probably be too 
obstinate to be influenced by it....

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