Extropian public image & post titles

Max More (maxmore@primenet.com)
Sun, 15 Jun 1997 12:13:08 -0700


At 09:42 PM 6/14/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
> a coworker of mine has the same book, titled "alt.culture"
> i believe. the word cult was used in the classic context,
> as in a small group of like minded people. i'd say it was
> pretty accurrate.

In *that* sense it has some accuracy. However, that's a stupid definition
for "cult". Cults have all kinds of characteristics that we don't. (And who
is the "we" here? The list? Everyone who calls themselves extropian? ExI?)

Seeing all these messages with "extropian cult" in them bothers me.
Reporters sometimes join the list for a while, and many people look at the
archives, without reading all the posts. Just seeing this titles appear
numerous times could easily add fuel to this false fire for cursory readers.

I'm *not* suggesting that this topic not be discussed. I'm just suggesting
that it be retitled to avoid this effect. The more smoke that is visible,
the more some people may believe there must be a fire.

The fact that you will all ignore my request will prove that this is not a
cult!

Max

Max More, Ph.D.
more@extropy.org
http://www.primenet.com/~maxmore
President, Extropy Institute: exi-info@extropy.org, http://www.extropy.org
EXTRO 3 CONFERENCE on the future: http://www.extropy.org/extro3.htm