X-Message-Number: 6857 From: Brian Wowk <> Date: Sun, 8 Sep 1996 23:48:39 -0500 Subject: SCI.CRYONICS Silent Majority It is indeed unfortunate that the recent bout of rancor has turned so many people off cryonics. It's unfortunate because for every combative cryonicist on the Net, there are ten others who keep their nose to the grindstone, and their focus on the task at hand. Two of the four major cryonics organizations didn't even participate in the recent ruckus. All of cryonics (and all people in cryonics) shouldn't be written off because of the disruptive behavior of a few individuals. What to do about this problem? Two tactics have worked in the past. The most straightforward is simply to ignore provocative postings (difficult if outright lies are being told). The other is for lurkers (or infrequent posters with no axes to grind) to come forward and provide negative feedback to stabilize the system. (Nothing worse, when you're trying to impress lurkers, than to be denounced by one.) The problem with blanket "you know who you are" criticisms is that people really don't know who they are; unless you name them, they'll always think you're talking about the other guy. Finally, IMHO, the last thing the world needs right now is yet another company promising to freeze tissue and then repair it with future technology. "Technology" with no feedback is a recipe for mischief. What's really needed is a cryonics technology that demonstrably WORKS. More than anything else, THAT will bring fresh minds, new money, and new companies into cryonics. THAT will clean up the silly "mine is bigger than yours" debates. THAT will bring real scientific discipline to the field. Support the Prometheus Project http://www.prometheus-project.org/prometheus (which, incidentally, is proof that existing organizations CAN work together toward common goals). *************************************************************************** Brian Wowk CryoCare Foundation 1-800-TOP-CARE President Human Cryopreservation Services http://www.cryocare.org/cryocare/ Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=6857