X-Message-Number: 33209 Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:02:21 -0500 Subject: Re: Urgent: Attention Cryonicists From: Jonathan Hinek <> In response to Message #33208, Tue, 11 Jan 2011 04:04:01 EST: From a file posted by Mike Darwin: "A Nest of Vipers "The malice, venom and obvious contempt with which cryonics is attacked on Melody's Maxim's blog 'Cryonics Meets Medicine' (http://cryomedical.blogspot.com/), Richie Arnold's 'Cryonics Factsheet' (http://www.cryonicsfactsheet.co.uk/ ), on the pages of the Cult Education Forum (http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,64749,page=76) or on Cold Filter, is not only unacceptable, it is intolerable. It might be understandable, if not excusable, if there were even the flimsiest factual basis for most of these attacks." -- While I agree with many things Darwin has had to say, I have to go on record stating that I don't think Cold Filter deserves to be singled out with these other sites. Cold Filter is a forum of diverse opinion, yes, one that has often gotten out of hand, but it is not an anti-cryonics establishment. In fact, places like the anti-cryonics Cult Education Forum are frequently criticized by the people who frequent Cold Filter. Another name mentioned by Darwin, Melody Maxim, is someone who no longer posts on Cold Filter, because she doesn't want to be moderated by me. I only mention that to further differentiate us from her site, and other sites Darwin mentions. I'm not familiar with the cryonics factsheet, or Richie Arnold, and the link isn't working for me currently. In the past, we have had posters who I felt crossed the line with frequent personal attacks on Cold Filter, but those have been curtailed, especially in recent months. There has been an effort to see that they do not return. My effort to moderate ad hominems has earned me criticism from some of Cold Filter's users, it has even earned me harassment and threats from one user in particular. However, most of the users at Cold Filter appear to appreciate the change. Most of the people who frequent Cold Filter were not interested in exchanging insults to begin with. Most readers there are truly interested in cryonics. Hopefully any other cryonicists who have gained even a modicum of value from the Cold Filter forum can agree with me when I say it is not deserving of any anti-cryonics stigma. It may, however, be imperfect, because of an imperfect moderator (myself) wrestling with the occasional onslaught of cryo critics or unruly posters. But I have to add that there has been a great deal of improvement as of late. We have a handful of very loyal pro-cryonics contributors who have done a great job of being sure that the facts are out there. And I think it is important that they continue to have these conversations in open dialogues, for all to see. Jonathan Hinek CF Moderator Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=33209