I have decided that it is wisest to define myself as a 'sentist' rather than 'transhumanist' as the latter is too limiting as is tied to the notion of species and 19-20th century thinking. After all, I support land rights for gay and lesbian vegan whales. In absolute seriousness, and I attempt not to lie. After all, one day I will bump into one at the local milk bar (inidividual small business general store and take-away) and meet such a being. Of course, they may no longer be species-defined (if they have chosen not to be). We can be the developers and definers of our own architecture. All sentient beings, whatever their nature, can be our brothers, sisters and significant others.
I suppose the distinction would be similar to that between a vegan and a vegetarian. Vegans are concerned about use of animal products not only because of concerns over killing but issues of consent in harvesting and experimentation. Sentists would have similar concerns.
I wrote a poem about such things some time ago:
In Celebration of the Techno-Rapture
we take these steps freely and of our own will.
To offer all sentient beings liberation from death, pain and
suffering.
To offer all sentient beings boosting, meshing, assistance and
entrance into the multiverse, including hypertopia.
We seek this through choice and the flowering of monad. *
This is our promise,
in the name of our love and the love of the nodal stem of this
universe.
[* monad = individual group mind inputs (i.e. 'memetic' fields) and
neurological group mind possibilities as defined within nodal stem
parameters, i.e. 'scientific' definitional structures]
Other events flow from this admittedly spiritual understanding, and
its viewpoint of self-directed evolution subsuming evolution based
on random mutation and natural selection. For example, the Ecoburst
[the end of the non-consensual birth/death cycle at ecosystem, monadic,
memetic and Gaian levels], Earthreturn [transference of consciousness
neo-Tiplerite viewpoint], Earthextension and Activation [multiversal
neo-Tiplerite viewpoint]. We shall all get to find out soon enough I
suppose.
PS
Again, along neo-Tiplerite lines:
You gals and guys have been looking at the hill in from of you, but
distantly, on the horizon itself, if you look carefully, you can see a
mountain range, and beyond that, something in the clouds...
SECOND AND THIRD ESCALATIONS ('Singularities') on universal level:
The second Escalation/Singularity is anticipated in 10-100 billion years
time (the particular period will be quick), after the last escalating
world has gone through the process of flowering in a 'natural' sense.
[Why? Check Quarantine and the Book of Job.] This can be considered as
the Escalation/Singularity of the gods/God/and others. After this point
other systems of operation will enter directly into this universe.
Third Escalation/Singularity:
vaguelly sensed, dealing with multiverse boundary conditions from total
sentient-universes perspective.
Transhumanists can expect to fragment along societal lines - to a degree - even Extropians will find the same process at work. Diversity can be embraced - it's a hoot. The Omega 'Point' or - I believe - Matrix - can encompass the 'bad' people. They do not need to be 'punished' by 'leaving them behind' - it is sufficient to ensure that acts of force are consensual through assistance to the recipients of such force from more complex consciousness. Spiritually, this is a deep issue indeed, and has been discussed for millenia. It is directly tied into to choice as the ultimate boundary condition of the multiverse. Perhaps this may seem a little weird or disconnected as a topic of discussion - now. I believe it will not seem so in twenty-five or thirty years time.
Perhaps Transhumanists should link their sites to the Church of Bob? I'd vote for it.