The WTBTS book publishing corporation will do whatever is the most profitable, ironic if it is supposed to be non-profit.
An example, a former friend of mine (most active JWs are "former" friends apparently) is still at Bethel after 20 years. He started in shipping and then Bethel trained him in electronics. For a long time he was in tape duplication. A few years back he told me there were days when they could not get the actual tape because there were only two manufacturers left and one of them was going out of business. (I don't know about the veracity of this claim, I found at least one manufacturer of tape in China). My former Bethel friend has since been moved to other areas from Brooklyn to Walkill. I have no idea if he is still there or not. He is approaching the magic age for layoff moving to where the need is great.
Not long after he told me that, WT ended cassettes and videocasettes. Now it is CDs, DVDs and MP3s. The good thing about digital media is that 90% of the cost is in producing the first copy (writing, recording, production, etc.) Each additional copy is in the relatively small cost of the media. With MP3s, that media cost is eliminated except for the cost of maintaining a server to hold the MP3 for download. Eliminated is shipping, postage, packaging, storage costs.
The bad thing about digitizing things is that the original can be changed, edited, altered. In the case of newspapers, paper copies serves as an archive of the historical record. With the Watchtower Society, it is an archive of all of the flip-flops of New Lightâ„¢ versus Old Lightâ„¢.
This development is perfect for the Watchtower Flip Flop Society. Cut costs, hide change. The Sheeple Sisters love the new convenience of downloading Kingdumb Melodies onto their iPod while working out at the local gym or studying at the local college handing out cookies at the Quick Builds
Snakes ()