For Aron: Google Alert Links
>> Saturday, June 12, 2010
Aron asked: It seems more and more that my google alerts on space settlement link to sites the promote the idea of the world ending in 2012. Will this hurt the pro-space habitation movement and, if so, how do we minimise the damage?
I don't think it matters.
I don't think wondering if the world will end in 2012 precludes supporting space exploration/habitation and vice versa. Unless someone were interested in end of the world theories, they're unlikely to follow the link. I doubt anything they find will sway their opinion on the subject one way or the other.
If someone is convinced the world will end, well, I doubt the link will change their minds either. If they support space habitation, too, again, I don't see how that changes things.
Is it a little out of the science and technology realm you're going for? Yes. But I don't know that it hurts. People who are into the science and technology aspect are unlikely to follow the links anyway and ignore the ad type stuff as a matter of course (At least, I do.).
In either case, I doubt it's having much impact on the people you want to reach.
However, I'm not a marketing expert. This is all just my opinion.
It just something I fear is a backlash from people who support space settlement out of fear for 2012. A sort of "hurry up and build a moon base before 2012" movement that will drop us like a hot potato the day nothing happens. That could be bad. But I didn't think to focus my audience in the way you mentioned, I shouldn't worry about the 2012ers, if they come, they come, it should effect the core group of people who are working to make this reality.
Thanks!