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. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=1857