X-Message-Number: 32637
Subject: Re: Research Center
From: David Stodolsky <>
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:05:39 +0200
References: <>

On 17 Jun 2010, at 11:00 AM, CryoNet wrote:


> Drafted course of events in FIVE STEPS: (ONE) the foundation of a Research 
Center, named LRC (Life Research Center), for instance. (TWO) the LRC is looking
for its potential members, espec. organizations who are key supporters to the 
common cause. (THREE) LRC succeeds to get CI, Alcor, KrioRus, ACS, the Cryonics 
Society, as well as international organizations including the Cryonics Society 
of Canada, the Japan Cryonics Association, and other key supporters in various 
continents of the world, as members.


This is a key step. Some neutral organization needs to do this, not the 
potential founders of the Research Center. The Venturist Society is probably 
best positioned to take this step.



> (FOUR) members are free to pay membership fees matching their individual 
preferences. (FIVE) LRC is entitled to gain an income from doing paid research 
on methods of standardized accreditation for their members. 


'Free to pay' and 'entitled to gain' could result in a contradiction. Maybe the 
organizations could each send a member to an Advisory Board for the Research 
Center. This Advisory Board could suggest to a Board of Directors what the main 
problems to investigate are and what the total funding should be. The Venturist 
Society could collect the funds, at least at first, to ensure that contributions
were tax deductible. This would encourage private donations that would allow a 
wider range of research than just the immediate problems of current 
organizations.


An accreditation program would be important, since it could ensure that 
fraudulent companies or individuals wouldn't be able to pass themselves off as 
cryonics providers or agents of reputable providers. We have already had 
incidents of this type and as cryonics becomes more accepted, they will probably
increase. An accreditation program would also provide unbiased information that
could be used to identify waste within the Movement. 


An independent organization could also be more effective in cases that generate 
bad press for a provider organization, since it would be independent and 
therefore would come across as more credible. It might also be able to mediate 
disputes between a provider organization and a family, reducing legal expenses -
or if a legal case became necessary, at least, the provider couldn't be accused
in the Press of "being after the money." At the moment, cryonics providers are 
often attacked as being money making 'scams', even though they are non-profits. 
Anything that  could reduce this perception would be valuable. A proactive 
approach to public relations would be a lot cheaper and more effective than the 
after-the-fact lawsuits we are seeing now. 


dss

David Stodolsky
  Skype: davidstodolsky

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