X-Message-Number: 1857
Date: 01 Mar 93 20:20:42 EST
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: CRYONICS History Lesson

From: Mike Darwin
To: Clarissa Wells
Re: History Lesson
Date: 1 March, 1993

     You have wondered in several of your postings over the furor you have 
created as a result of your "coming out" on Cryonet.  There are several 
reasons for this and I would be happy to list them:

     1) Cryonics is very small.  Probably much smaller than you imagine.  
I believe that the realities are that Alcor has about 350 signed-up 
members with maybe twice that many receiving mailings or in some tenuous 
way part of the cryonics community, ACS has about 60 signed-up members 
with maybe twice or three times that number otherwise involved (and there 
is some overlap there with Alcor) and CI probably has about the same 
number signed up as ACS (possibly more) with perhaps three or four times 
as many subscribers (again with some overlap with ACS and Alcor).  Thus 
the entire cryonics community has maybe 600 hundred signed up people and 
maybe another 600 to 1200 peripherally involved people.

     2) Most of the above are consumers who have about as much deep 
interest in the day-to-day goings-on in cryonics as people have in their 
health insurance company's day-to-day operation.  The number of activists 
in absolute numbers is quite small (although in relative numbers is 
perhaps more impressive).

     3) Most of the members are male and a very large fraction of the 
activists are male.  Almost all of the "intellectual capital" as appears 
on Cryonet (and sadly elsewhere too) is generated by men.  There are some 
notable exceptions, Brenda Peters being one of them.  Having said this, I 
would point out that in most instances those who wish to know who you are 
wish to know for reasons other than those related to your gender.

     4)  Now, as to why they think you are someone else than who you are?  
Well, there is at least one good reason for this and that is your (by this 
community's standards) uncanny insight into the interpersonal dynamics and 
the realities of the situations.  Beyond that, it is a basic, deep-seated 
desire common amongst humans everywhere too look on the bright side.  You 
have injured these people.  You have hurt them in a way they are not 
accustomed to being hurt (except maybe by me).  It is unthinkable that you 
might be who you say you are, and thus be yet another problem to deal 
with.

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