[extropy-chat] ANNOUNCE: Extropy Institute's Future

[Zero Powers]

Hello all

It's been a while since I've posted to the list, although I have continually
monitored it for several years now.  I'm surprised and disheartened to hear
that ExI is no more, but I know that the Board must know what's best for the
institute and that gives me some comfort.

In terms of memorable discussions, a few years back there were a number of
very thought provoking discussions/debates concerning the inevitability and
benefits of societal transparency.  Although the discussions eventually
tended toward ad hominem attacks, I believe that there was much of value in
the ideas expressed in them.  I also believe that with the continual
evolution, use and acceptance of surveillance technology (think cell phone
cameras, traffic light cameras, explosion of CCTV

On 5/5/06, Max More <max at maxmore.com> wrote:
>
> Thank you for your words, Hal.
>
> As Natasha and Mitch have said, plans are afoot to preserve all the
> public material -- in fact to make it more available than ever before.
> As we work on this project, it would be very helpful to hear from List
> subscribers (especially you long-timers): which do you think are the
> best and most memorable discussions that have appeared on the List?
> Which discussions or individual posts should be included in any selection?
>
> Once the bulk of the existing material is online and searchable, we
> would like to go further, using more advanced tools and perhaps making
> the Extropy Library a repository that continues to build.
>
> Onward!
>
> Max
>
>
> Hal Finney wrote:
> > I want to congratulate Natasha, Max, and the rest of the Extropy
> > Institute board for taking this difficult but proactive step rather than
> > letting ExI and its related concepts just fade away as happens with
> > so many institutions.  When the time has come to move on, recognizing
> > and accepting that fact is always difficult.  But the world has changed
> > enormously since the 1980s when Max and Tom invented the idea of
> Extropy,
> > and even since the early 1990s when this mailing list was born in its
> > earlier incarnation.  Ideas which at that time were considered too
> > outlandish even for science fiction are now debated regularly in the
> > corridors of power and on the front pages of major newspapers and other
> > opinion leaders.
> >
> > My main concern during this time of transition is that the history
> > of Extropy be preserved and not forgotten.  Because of the extreme
> > unacceptability of transhumanist ideas in the early days (hard to
> remember
> > today), the original extropians mailing list had a policy of
> quasi-secrecy
> > with regard to list archives.  As a result, much of that free-wheeling
> > discussion has been lost, an information exchange which many of us
> > remember as among the most dynamic and engaging we have ever
> encountered.
> >
> > It may never be possible to reconstruct and restore those lost archives,
> > but eventually the list policy changed, and we should make sure that
> > what remains is not lost.  Not only list archives, but the working
> > papers and other documents produced by ExI over the years, should all
> > be preserved for future study and reference.  It's possible that someday
> > this material will be seen as representing the birth of ideas which turn
> > out to be key to the further development of humanity.
> >
> > Making data available for an indefinite period into the future will
> > not happen automatically.  It will take time and effort to make the
> > preparations, and funds will be needed as well.  If there are things I
> > could do to help, I hope Natasha will feel free to ask, and I am sure
> > that most of the rest of us in the community feel the same way.
> >
> > Hal Finney
> > _______________________________________________
> > extropy-chat mailing list
> > extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> > http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat
> >
> >
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