[extropy-chat] Doubt and About

[Harvey Newstrom]

Brett Paatsch wrote,
> I don't so much disagree with you as think you are re-voicing
> fuzzy generalisations as a result of frustration. I thought 
> if you homed in 
> a bit you might get better purchase and less frustration. 

That's cool.  I totally missed your point.  I thought when you were asking
me to focus my point and provide more evidence that you thought I was
totally unfounded.  I agree that my worries are a fuzzy overview of a lot of
issues thrown together.  They certainly could use some more review to figure
out exactly what and why we aren't as effective and popular as I think we
should be.

> Ok. But as extropes together or as individuals that just happen
> to frequent the Exi list?  The reason I ask is that I think 
> one of the 
> biggest questions is whether transhumanists should form a 
> political force. I do see merit in that proposition. I can 
> see good arguments for and against it. I thought that the WTA 
> might become a political organisation yet Exi might stay out 
> of politics and that might give the best of both worlds. 

This is one of the big questions.  We often see ourselves as if we were
think tanks, political activists, publicity organization, technological
researchers, educational organizations, or something like that.  But I
haven't seen anybody actually produce a project plan with specific goals for
any of these.  Even all our organizations seem slightly ill-defined.  Having
a website and a mailing list does not make an organization effective.  (And
I am talking about a dozen organizations, not any particular one.)

I think we haven't really defined our goals, and hence haven't been
effective toward anything specifically.
 
> I reckon that's a good question I think but its always a personal
> one. Each of us should perhaps ask ourselves it but I doubt we 
> can answer for otheres. Do you think the Exi chat list 
> actually works as a sort of drug that steals our creative 
> juices or something?

Actually, yes.  Since time is the limiting factor for most people, anything
that eats up a lot of time and produces little result is suspect.  I sure
wish we could get working groups going, like what node-net was going to be
in the beginning.

I would love to see working groups formed codify current methods into FAQs,
how-to documents, and support infrastructures for:
- life-extension diets
- long-term investing
- IT security
- political activism
- starting your own business
- brainstorming solutions
- developing AI
- developing nanotech

Where organizations already exist doing these things, we should have an
representative from each to report what they are doing and how extropians
can get involved an help.

I guess what I really want to see is actual projects working on stuff
instead of just talking about them.  Our "projects" are just organizations
with websites and mailing lists.  We need project plans with requirements,
goals, milestones, dates, and actual tasks being worked on and completed.  I
don't see that happening anywhere.

If we only claimed to be a fan-club of technology, I would be happy.  We are
doing exactly what a fan-club should do.  We discuss it and love it.  But
most of our websites claim that we are creating stuff, leading stuff, or
developing future solutions.  It is when we claim to be something we are not
that I get frustrated.  If we want to do all this stuff, then let's do it.
If we don't want to do all this stuff, then let's stop pretending that we
are doing it.

-- 
Harvey Newstrom, CISSP, CISA, CISM, IAM, IBMCP, GSEC
Certified IS Security Pro, Certified IS Auditor, Certified InfoSec Manager,
NSA Certified Assessor, IBM Certified Consultant, SANS Certified GIAC
<HarveyNewstrom.com> <Newstaff.com>