X-Message-Number: 3581
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 01:04:47 -0500 (EST)
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: CRYONICS:"Censorship"


Richard Schroeppel writes:

> Charles Platt's request, that Mssrs. Coetzee and Bozzonetti stop posting
> to Cryonet, is out of line.  (In any case, the request should have been
> sent privately.)  

But Richard, I don't think this is what I requested. I suggested that we 
have real-world problems to solve, and if people are serious about 
cryonics, it would make better sense to apply oneself in ways that are 
productive, rather than indulging in endless speculation which seems to 
be based mainly on incorrect facts. This, Richard, is not censorship; 
it's a plea for common sense. 

Your suggestion that I should communicate with some people privately,
rather than publicly, could be considered an attempt by *you* to censor
*me,* if I use the word as you are using it. But this is silly; no one can
censor anyone here, because it's an unmoderated group. We can merely ask 
favors of each other. I thought that this was what I was doing.

> It's reasonable to expect that C & B will eventually
> bring their science up to snuff, 

I think you may be a little over-optimistic, especially in view of the 
most recent post re "ghosts." I hope you enjoyed it.

> Taken to its logical extreme, Platt's suggestion would result in Cryonet
> consisting of an annual message from Mike Darwin informing us of the
> advances made last year.

Who said you had to take it to its logical extreme? I was quite specific. 
There's no need to generalize.

> Charles, could we get away from "Cryonet = Marketing Tool"?  You sound
> like some computer manufacturer trying to control his Users Group.  The
> cause is better served by obvious blatant openness than by secrecy.

It has always been a struggle to legitimize cryonics. The more legitimate
it is, in the public eye, the better our chances of getting money for
research and finding new members for organizations. Having done some work
in this direction myself, I hate to see it undermined in a public forum.
Again, this is a plea for common sense, nothing more. 

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