X-Message-Number: 10604
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1998 09:38:42 -0700
From: Peter Merel <>
Subject: For Thomas Nord

>[Thomas Nord's flamage of Keith Lynch deleted]

Thomas, you have to remember that cryonet is over ten years old. It's rude 
and heated too often, refined and high-signal too rarely, but Keith Lynch,
perhaps unknown to you, provides the invaluable service of archiving the 
entire assortment of rambles, flames, and occasional moments of pith. Just 
why he does this is a mystery to most of us, but we remain grateful
nonetheless; these records of us in shameless discourse may one day 
prove instrumental in motivating and validating our reconstruction.

What distinguishes cryonet in this way is not the participation of determined
cryonicists, "cash in hand" as you say, who too often generate more heat 
than light, but rather the careful, gentle, and open discussion of signal 
and technical material. This isn't to say that cryonet has no room for other 
topics - indeed, it often consists of nothing but other topics for months 
at a time - but that it has a focus, a purpose around which the other 
topics merely pitch their orbits.

Now I meant no harm in my earlier criticism of your posts here. I only
directed your attention to other fora where they might be of more central
interest. I never suggested you ought not to post here, but only that
you might align your posts more closely with the purpose of the place. 
Likewise I'm sure that Keith Lynch bore you no malice when he suggested 
you format your posts so that they are legible to others. He certainly 
said nothing that was worthy of your harsh response.

To live for a long time means learning to accept and accomodate other people.
No one without compassion and flexibility can endure, because lacking such
qualities they will inevitably build a reaction against themselves in others
that will overwhelm them. Though some here have occasionally seemed to feel
that cryonic suspension can circumvent such a reaction, in fact, vulnerable 
in one's dewar, about the only thing that will improve the chances of safe
passage and timely revival is a history of pleasing words, memorable works and
fast friends.

So I'd suggest it's purely in your own interests for you to raise signal and
improve formatting. Your english language skills are not something for you 
to be embarrassed about - several highly regarded cryonet correspondents
are not entirely comfortable with this language - but the lack of these 
skills is exacerbated by carrying on as you are. Improving the quality of 
your posts in these other ways will greatly mitigate shortcomings in grammar
that may occur, and give "our friends in the future" the clearest image of
those qualities in you that will make your revival worthwhile to them.

Peter Merel.

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