Saturday 28 July 2007

HOTA default opt-in

Recently, the Mufti of Singapore has released a fatwa that Singaporean Muslims to be included in HOTA (Human Organ Transplant Act) by default. Whereas previously, it was an opt-in. Which means, if a Muslim dies, the hospital cannot harvest their organs for transplant to people who are awaiting organs. Few Muslims opt-in to HOTA since this was introduce. Also this would lower the chance of Muslims to get organ transplant especially kidneys if they don't opt-in

I am very familiar with this opt-in and opt-out concept. I manage email marketing and these terminology and concept seems to apply even for organ transplant.

Like in e-newsletter marketing, it is harder to build an opt-in email database than an opt-out database. The difference of the two is, in opt-in email database, you will get subscribers who voluntarily want to receive your news. Very few sometimes. But the quality is usually very good.

In opt-out, you will buy database and send them email with option to opt-out. The case here, people who really do not want to receive your email marketing will opt-out but you will still have a bigger database of default opt-in subscribers.

The reason behind these 2 scenarios, very similar actually. There are people who knows what they want and choose to act on what they want. But there are majority of people who just, how do I say this, don't bother or look-see people.

In marketing, it is a brag to declare that you have a huge database of subscribers. Because, your look-see subscribers are your asset. And for human transplant, you need this big of a database for the shortage of organ for transplant.

So the move by MUIS is a good call. Even though there is a condition that a Muslim must be buried with everything when they die.

In my opinion, when I die of old wrinkle age, my organs gets aged with me. If not, then at least pieces of me still lives in 12 other people.

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