X-Message-Number: 26173 From: Subject: Thank you Jonathan Despres! Date: Fri, 13 May 2005 08:39:06 GMT Jonathan Despres wrote: > I have removed Cryo Prize and CryoQuebec from the NanoAging Institute > web site and I will no longer build/maintain those projects. Many cryonicists were incredibly surprised and delighted by this sudden reversal on your part, Jon. It is not only a great relief, but it gives me hope that you can make some substantial positive contributions to cryonics and to the survival of us all. You do have many positive attributes and I did not enjoy attacking you. At times I felt like the parent giving a spanking who says, "This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you". But I was concerned that you could do serious damage to cryonics -- all the moreso because of your talents. I was stunned by the list of notables you managed to accumulate on your Boards. I would never have been so audacious as to even think of asking some of those people. Great things are often accomplished by the audacious (as well as great disasters). I think it showed resourcefulness and persistance on your part to ferret-out contact information for all those people and to get them to agree. Aubrey de Grey told me that he agreed only after having been asked by you numerous times. I am also impressed by your unwavering focus on practical accomplishments. Too many people do nothing but talk, talk, talk. I respect the importance of philosophy as much as anyone, but we can easily be suffocated by so much hot air. You often show a surprising awareness of important technical issues and an appreciation for their importance not displayed by other, more "seasoned" cryonicists. As noted, I have been horrified by many of your hare-brained schemes which have involved so much misrepresentation and which have had such potential for disaster. To me you have been irresponsible and had terrible judgement to be making such grandiose promises involving lives and money when you have so little capacity to deliver. It is also fraudulent to be promoting organizations that are organizations in name only. Nonetheless, many great projects begin with only an idea. Alcor began in Fred Chamberlain's trailer. Christine Gaspar dreams of a cryonics facility in Canada. If she succeeds, it will be a long time before it can deliver service comparable to that of the American organizations. It will take people believing the effort and risk is worthwhile to make this dream a reality. Similarly, I hope that you someday have the means to deliver on your dream of CryoQuebec. It gives me hope to see that you have the capacity to admit to being wrong and to learn from your mistakes. Too many people will not admit to being wrong and cannot learn. I make mistakes all the time and have had more than my share of hare-brained ideas that I have had to discard. I respect you more and trust you more for having dropped these ill-conceived and ill-fated projects. This is by no means an endorsement of all your future schemes, but I believe that you have the capacity to make significant contributions to cryonics. And I hope that there will be times and means for me to give you support. -- Ben Best Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=26173