X-Message-Number: 1921
Date: 09 Mar 93 01:16:11 EST
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: CRYONICS Help

To: Cryonet


I have just gone through the February message traffic on 
Cryonet (totalling more than 300 KB) and have extracted from 
it 30 KB for publication as "Cryonics Forum" in Cryonics 
magazine. 

I asked for this job, and I'm happy to do it. However, now 
that I have it running on seemingly routine basis, I am 
looking for someone who may be willing to collaborate with 
me. The reason is obvious: If I free up a little time, here, 
I can apply that time to new projects for Alcor. For 
instance, I have been working on a "Welcome to Alcor" 
brochure, to be given to each new member, explaining what 
Alcor is all about, what to do in a health emergency, and why 
Alcor needs volunteers. But I haven't had time to finish that 
brochure, partly because of the Cryonet duty. 

The steps I go through, "digesting" Cryonet, are as follows: 

1. Save all postings as they come in. 

2. On the first day of each month, scan through the 
accumulated postings from the previous month, and extract a 
preliminary "digest file" according to the following rules: 
     a) Include any posting which someone has specifically 
asked to include. 
     b) Include any short posting announcing news which is 
unlikely to be announced elsewhere in Cryonics magazine.
     c) Include postings which are FACTUALLY INFORMATIVE, 
giving us genuinely new data. 
     d) Include some postings which express genuinely 
ORIGINAL OPINIONS that may be of interest to the whole 
readership. 

3. The preliminary "digest file" is usually about 100 KB and 
has to be reduced further by making value judgments and by 
editing the text. 

4. Eventually I end up with 30 KB of material. I go through 
it adding typesetting codes (for italics, subheads, etc) and 
making sure there are no formatting problems. 

5. I send the edited text to the people who originally wrote 
it, asking permission to reprint. A draft of all the messages 
is also sent to Ralph Whelan for him to look over. 

6. The final text is imported to a desktop publishing program 
where formats have been preset. Line spacing is adjusted so 
that the text fills four pages. The pages are printed out as 
camera-ready copy, and express-mailed to Alcor. 

The most time-consuming part of this operation is Step 2, 
creating the preliminary "digest file." The other steps I 
have systematized to the point where they are routine. 

I am looking for someone who may be willing to take Step 2 
off my shoulders. Ideally, it will be someone who already 
receives Cryonet, can do the preliminary culling, and can 
send me the result via email. If anyone is willing to 
volunteer for this duty, I would presumably need to get them 
okayed by Ralph Whelan, since he oversees the whole operation 
(on a very informal, hands-off basis). 

I think Cryonet is an important resource, and I think it's 
important to have fresh, challenging opinions aired in the 
magazine. I'm quite willing to continue handling all the 
steps in this operation myself; but it would be pleasant to 
have a collaborator. And since this is a task that can be 
done at any distance from Riverside, it's ideal for a 
volunteer. 

Any offers? Please reply to me direct at 
 

--Charles Platt

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