new watchtower mag arrangement

by shadowofbathory 122 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Jourles

  Since Bethel monitors this board, I would love to know how these cost cutting ideas get pitched to the higher ups. I normally don't brag, but I love to bring this up every now and then when news of the literature getting cut gets out. I think it would be hilarious if someone who was watching the board brought these ideas to the gb's table (from Dec. '04 -- before announcement of Awake scaling back):

  Should we cut back on the magazine distribution timeframe? How about combine the WT and Awake into one magazine? Instead of twice a month, how about just once? This alone would cut expenditures on printed materials by almost 50-75%. And the books? Well, we already did away with hardcover and we also cut the physical size of most books to roughly 50% of the older larger ones. Can we take advantage of electronic distribution? Would some witnesses prefer to print out Adobe PDF files of the magazines? Instead of offering the WT and Awakes at the doors, why not switch to using just tracts? Save the magazines for studies and witnesses themselves. Tracts would cost less to produce and effectively carry the same message as the magazines.

  Damn you Borg! I want my consultation fee!
• 

  Gill

  Me Too!

  I have an excellent cost cutting idea for the WTBTS!

  Just Die!!!!

  However, failing that, how about making the literature available ONLY on the Internet. People who wanted to read them could just log in with their own password and contribute say 30p for the privilige each time. It would certainly help to keep the freshly regurgitated spiritual vomit as 'confidential' as the WTBTS can make it! It would save, trees, hence the environment and WT members could save on shoe leather. Savings all round. Shut the KH's and have meetings on line. Think of the fuel and maintenance cost savings!
• 

  drew sagan

  This is typical cult behavior.
  
  For the WTS there has been a systematic move towards removing the 'strange & bizzare' teachings in their releases to the public. Just take a look at the Bible Teach book and you will find no mention of the FDS class, even though this is the cornerstone of their theology!
  
  It's a information control move, plain and simple. Don't let the public get what you don't want them to see!
  
  -Drew
• 

  dedpoet

  how about making the literature available ONLY on the Internet. People who wanted to read them could just log in with their own password and contribute say 30p for the privilige each time. It would certainly help to keep the freshly regurgitated spiritual vomit as 'confidential' as the WTBTS can make it! It would save, trees, hence the environment and WT members could save on shoe leather. Savings all round. Shut the KH's and have meetings on line. Think of the fuel and maintenance cost savings!

  An interesting idea, Gill.

  I am just trying to imagine the wt study being conducted online. Can't see it really, they would be giving up to much control, and how would the elders hold their kangaroo courts judicial meetings? Imagine being df'd by email lol.
• 

  slimboyfat

  WT has always sat uneasily as being a "staff magazine" for R & F JWs with sometimes quite explicitly JW articles while being offered to the general public

  Mitigated by the fact that no one reads them anyway, of course. Some articles should raise an eyebrow or two among any hapless soul who has run out of other things to read. Like the articles on "OBEY the faithful and discreet slave!"
• 

  OUTLAW

  28 million less magazines printed..28 million less magazines stored in garages,under beds,or kept in the spare bedroom..WBT$ has just given the average JW more living space in thier homes..LOL!!...OUTLAW
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  and will NOT be offered or distributed to the general public or irregular meeting attendees

  I thought that they might try all kinds of nutty ideas to retain and cut down on costs.
  I thought they would focus more on retention instead of recruitment until they figure
  out how to reorganize.

  If true- this is a big retention step. They will simplify the door-to-door work more by
  focusing on one main article, they will push more special flyers for memorial and
  DC invitations. The "holding out from irregular ones" will cause the remaining ones
  to think this is something special as the end gets closer- they will pressure loved ones
  (especially young ones) to stay regular and prepare for Armageddon.

  It would be a nice effort at change- a further push of cult doctrine, a way to say the
  end is soooooo close w/o actually saying it, so they can duck it later.

  I will be okay if I don't get my study articles. Soon, I will be inactive and not receiving
  my OKM. The only person upset will be my wife, as she often loses hers and borrows
  mine.

  I would love to hear verification.
• 

  anewme

  Soon the study Watchtower will resemble the Kingdom Ministry and be handed out to qualifying publishers at the meetings.
  
  As for books, well they will just keep studying the Revelation Climax book over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over anoverovaovnerovdreovernvoervovnerovandroernvoaenovaervanerrrrrrrrrrrr
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  This is typical cult behavior.
  
  For the WTS there has been a systematic move towards removing the 'strange & bizzare' teachings
  in their releases to the public. Just take a look at the Bible Teach book and you will find no mention of
  the FDS class, even though this is the cornerstone of their theology!
  
  It's a information control move, plain and simple. Don't let the public get what you don't want them to see!
  
  -Drew

  Yes, typical cult behavior.

  The BIBLE TEACH info left out- I find that very disturbing. The study articles becoming for
  JW eyes or meeting attenders only- that fits their plans as they release bizzare NEW LIGHT.
  They will create the buzz equal to the pre-1975 buzz about these changes, then they will use
  the further reduction of printed material to "prove" the end is imminent.
  "It seems that Satan is winning. As he swallows up the world, we see the nations turning on
  religion, and as his seeming success reaches the point where good news is hindered, we are
  confident that the end is TRULY, at the most, a few years away. Since the work if virtually
  finished, we will start to offer tracts only, that you can donate your money for, and then you
  can offer them freely."
• 

  aniron

  I often thought when offering the Watchtower to people what on earth they would get out of it.

  Because most of the time it was aimed a JW's.

  We saw it as the voice of the FDS so what were we doing offering it to non-believers.

  The study articles in some issues where sometimes even over the head of JW's so what would any one else make of them.

  Even the non-study articles dealt with things that only a JW would understand.

  Have they finally realised that in the past their own teachings, freely available to all, have been used against them.