X-Message-Number: 30061
From: 
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 09:10:50 EST
Subject: Cryonics marketing, worth our continual hand-wringing IMO

In a message dated 11/24/2007 5:14:22 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
 writes:

Respect  for "authority" is sometimes a good idea, but  don't suspend your  
critical faculty.

Robert  Ettinger






(This is Rudi Hoffman writing)
 
I have been following the marketing discussion on cryonet with  interest.
 
What a delicious contrast in styles are represented by DS and  RE!

Robert Ettinger, you are as incisive, precise, and on point as  ever.  If 

cryonics did have enough money to hire a "consultant" your ideas  would surely 
be 
more practical and helpful than DS, whose snooty academic  arrogance and 
blatant self-promotion continues to come through in all his  writings.
 
By the way, I think this topic, "How we protect and grow the  cryonics 

community" is as relevant as any most of us non-technicians can  speculate on.  
And 
I am in favor of all of us adding whatever our skills,  relationships, and 
credibility allow us to add in this area.
 
My credentials in this matter are rather practical.  Over the  last several 
years, about 83% of the folks who have signed up for cryonics on  the planet 

have done this with the assistance of insurance or annuities made  available by
Rudi Hoffman.  (This is my version of blatant self  promotion...and a heck of 
a lot more pragmatic and "real world" than being  published in academic 
journals or a "Piled Higher and Deeper" set of letters  after one's name.)  
 
Walking people through the mechanics, logistics, funding issues,  and 

ideological concerns is what I do about 60 hours a week.  I just had a  rather 
good 
article published in Free Inquiry about cryonics which resulted in a  few 
signups, and I am writing THE book on cryonics/cryonics funding, called "The  
Affordable Immortal: How You Can Afford the New Science of Biostasis."  (To  
continue my personal horn tooting, which gives me some "street cred" in the  

cryonics community, but not nearly as much as Ettinger...but a bunch more  than 
DS.)
 
David S....can I ask exactly how many folks you have personally  encouraged 
to sign up for cryonics?  Are you personally signed up?   You are clearly a 
reasonably well educated guy, but I suspect your real world  effectiveness in 

this arena is a bit less than of Robert Ettinger.   I  also find your references
non-compelling, and is some cases as today's Ettinger  posting observed, 
downright loony.
 
Which is not to say that academic credentials and a demographic  analysis or 
political activism are not generally good ideas.  I respect the  work the CI 
and Alcor have done in developing better relationships with  government 

agencies.  Barry Ahrens (sp?) is an enormously talented guy  based on the talks 
he 
has given at Alcor conferences, and seems to be doing  outstanding work as a 
lobbyist for Alcor and cryonics.   There are  already very smart, dedicated 
people continuing to work on this, who remain  deeply involved in cryonics 
marketing and protection.   
 
Perhaps, however, we could begin with what we KNOW works regarding  the 

spreading the meme of cryonics.  A large percentage of the folks help  sign up 
for 
cryonics have heard about this idea from a trusted friend or spouse  or family 
member.  
 
A good first start to helping cryonics grow BEGINS with more of us  becoming 
"OUT OF THE CLOSET CRYONICISTS."  
 
This is an idea of practical value that each person reading this  board can 
do.
 
So, let the memosphere and the blogoshere continue to ring with  ideas about 
this important area of inquiry.  And let's all remember that we  are all 

working to develop this lifeboat together.  And that our collective  brain can 
be 
even better than our individual brains, if we learn to work  together as 
mutually respectful adults.
 
This posting is not a critique of anyone, including David S., but  is instead 
an endorsement of the writings of Robert Ettinger, who continues to  create 
prose showing he a genuine thought leader in the cryonics community and  the 
wider world of ideas.    
 
Rudi
 
Rudi Richard Hoffman CFP CLU ChFC

I am proud to support Ron  Paul for President--Google Ron Paul

Board Member Financial Planning  Association fpafla.com
Board Member Salvation Army  salvationarmy.org
Member Alcor Life Extension Foundation  alcor.org
Certified Financial Planner(TM) CFP Board of Standards 
Member  Libertarian Party libertarianparty.org
Member National Rifle Association  nra.org
Member World Transhumanist Association  http://transhumanism.org/
World's Leading Cryonics Insurance Provider  rudihoffman.com



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