X-Message-Number: 4850 Date: Wed, 06 Sep 95 13:07:24 From: Steve Bridge <> Subject: The importance of marketing cryonics To CryoNet >From Steve Bridge September 6, 1995 In reply to: Message #4846 From: Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 22:22:27 -0400 Subject: Re: CryoNet #4836 - #4841 (and similar objections) Les Garson said: >I have to beg the question: Whats this whole impetus about marketing >cryonics? Who cares! I learned about cryonics after hearing an off hand >comment and then, investigating the subject myself, out of my own >interest. Why is it even necessary to "sell" it? >I'd be much more interested in hearing comments, discussions about the >viability of cryonics as a science, the fascinating ethical, social >implications, and the philosophical musings of those who have given this >subject serious thought. Enough of this marketing stuff! Please! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- And Christian Alberto Garcia Sepulveda in Message #4837 said: > I am so sorry about the actual use CRYONET list is getting, I > can almost remember when good scientific adds really got through instead > of all this Donahue-like MLM crap. Kevin Brown's response was very good. I'd like to add some other thoughts. The success of cryonics depends on many factors, both technical and social. For instance, it does not matter that the technical problems are solved, if society and governments are hostile to cryonics and prevent us from performing suspensions or from keeping patients in suspension. Part of our "marketing" efforts are also basically "education." We don't expect to turn everyone into cryonicists; but it is critical that we inform the general public well enough that there is at least general tolerance for our ideas and actions. Also, I firmly believe that if cryonics organizations remain the same size they are currently, we are all doomed. The numbers, enthusiasm, and money will slowly dwindle until they all disappear, leaving a few survivors with bad memories and destroyed hopes. Cryonics needs more people involved. More people mean more ideas, more workers (to spread the stress from those of us working 70-80 hours a week on cryonics), and more MONEY. We need a thousand times greater financing than we have available now to do research, to hire professional staff, to upgrade suspension equipment, to improve patient security, and many other needs. That money will come only if one of us wins the lottery or if we gain many more members. No matter how much we discuss technology and science (and other aspects of cryonics) on this network, it is all just keyboard masturbation if we cannot afford to put these "fascinating" ideas *into practice.* Most of us in the leadership of cryonics are people who want to do something, not just talk about it. Our lives are on the line; this is not a passive field. Having more members benefits cryonics organizations in many other ways that may be less apparent. More members mean that we appear more stable and important to the general public. Who can take cryonics seriously today with no more than 800 people in the entire world having made suspension arrangements? More people than that collect string, claim to have been abducted by UFO's, or give their entire net worth to cults. Heck, Jim Jones did that well pushing Koolaid in Guyana. And more members means there will be people ready in the future to freeze ME and YOU, and to keep us frozen. CryoNet is meant to give us a chance to discuss cryonics -- all of it. One of the concerns of many of us who have been in cryonics for years (18 years now for me) is "With all the publicity we have had, why aren't more people signed up?" This is a critical question to answer, and some of the answers no doubt lie in understanding how to market this new idea. The discussions of multi-level marketing were part of that; and while perhaps they have gone on longer than absolutely necessary, I have gained many important insights from the discussion. I hope others have, as well. Steve Bridge, President Alcor Life Extension Foundation Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=4850