From: Len Flatley (lenny@velocity.net)
Date: Fri Jun 20 1997 - 12:18:03 MDT
On Fri, 20 Jun 1997, Max More wrote:
> How will you implement this policy? You can present the milder aspects of
> these ideas to non-transhumanists but then, when they look at your web
> sites or literature, they will see all those wild ideas. How do you plan to
> segment the market? Will you set up different web sites and print different
> literature for the different audiences? If so, how do you prevent
> crossover? (A quick web search and the non-transhumanists will find the
> explicitly transhumanist sites.)
> I'm facing this issue very clearly now as I write my book The Augmented
> Animal. I don't want to tone it down yet I'm trying to make the ideas
> appealing and reasonable to the average reasonably intelligent reader who
> hasn't heard of many of these ideas before. (A tough and smart editor helps
> with this!)
i am currently of the opinion -- and please play devils advocate
here, if any of you has any ideas -- that new ideas more often
than not ARE scary and frightening to the established order.
evolution seems to take place among the young. transhumanist
ideas are nothing more than a radical (not violent, but swift and
sure) shift of the human way of life. max, if you were to offer
your ideas to the populace in a way that is truthful to your
philosophy you are going to frighten and confuse middle america,
whether you like it or not.
i'm afraid that if you have something truly revolutionary to say,
something as exciting and vibrant and transforming as
TRANSHUMANISM, you WILL create enemies, you will scare people,
you will get people accusing you of satan worship, forming a cult,
or whatever else is fashionable in Tabloid TV. You will either
have to shut up, stop publicizing your ideas, or soften your
ideas if you want to avoid this.
NOTA BENE: I can understand and appreciate your concern, i am
not saying that you should move forward with caution, you are
definitely being responsible and rational in looking into ways
to soften the impact of your ideas (especially in light of the
"C" word) -- i just wanted to bring some more thoughts into the
discussion.
soon,
Lenny
MAYBE I AM NOT VERY HUMAN - WHAT I
WANTED TO DO WAS PAINT SUNLIGHT
ON THE SIDE OF A HOUSE
Edward Hopper
len flatley
lenny@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~lenny
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