Geoff -- I assure you that I *do* proceed carefully with unknown packages
in the mail. There could easily be more than one Unabomber out there. I
*know* there are growing numbers of people who hate me and other vocal
extropians. You raise an excellent point about the security of members
information. I'm open to suggestions. We have been pretty careful about
that information. If members feel it warranted, we could be even more
careful such as having a policy of never renting out the list and only
exchanging it for lists of other organizations we are utterly sure of (this
has, in effect, been our practice anyway).
>I apologize for infuriating you, I was definitely not insinuating *you*
>were driving a Mercedes.
Geoff, *you* didn't infuriate me, that was the prof. of surgery who took
the cheap parting shot that I was unable to respond to. I didn't think you
were assuming I drove a Mercedes, but you did make it sound like maybe the
situation was a bit like that.
>On the other hand, I do so the need for more money to ExI. I guess I
>still hope that you will not get this money by charging to contribute to
>this list.
We are not charging to contribute to the list. We are charging for
membership, one of the benefits of which is charging to the list. There is
a difference! There is no separate list charge.
I think this list is a wonderful place for newbies to watch
>for a while, then throw out a couple of replies and watch the seeds of
>their ideas grow into new threads. With a $95 fee, this will become a
>rare phenomenon.
Newbies can still read the list. There is also the Transhuman list. And
there are the newsgroups. This is not an either/or situation.
Geoff, of course my motivation for the work I've done was not to make
money. But I've come to realize that you cannot run an organization
effectively without sufficient revenue. I've also learned by personal
experience that living in debt at a tiny salary is a stressful way to live,
and not conducive to a happy life nor to a life that includes
life-extending protocols that do not come free.
>> We will be very happy to work out
>> breaks for members who are not rolling in money and who are contributing in
>> other ways. You are such a person.
>
>This is a great idea.
If you are an active member, or want to become an active member, and want
to ask for a break on dues, please get in touch.
Onward!
Max
Max More, Ph.D.
more@extropy.org
http://www.primenet.com/~maxmore
President, Extropy Institute: exi-info@extropy.org, http://www.extropy.org