Watchtower Signage

by jgnat 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  jgnat

  I've complained before about the stuffy signage in Assembly halls. With the help of modern technology, I've managed to capture some original images.

  

  "Please Ensure Door Is Tightly Closed At All Times" - note use of passive voice, and excessive verbiage. Makes one sound stuffy and important all in one blow. A good wordsmith could shorten this to "Keep Door Closed".

  

  "PLEASE REFRAIN FROM EATING & DRINKING IN THIS AREA" translated, "No Food or Drink"

  My favorites, though, are in the bathroom.

  

  "This Water Has Above Average Sodium Content" - about a half dozen copies of this sign are posted over the counters. What happened? Did a sister take a sip and fall over in a dead faint?

  

  "Please Wipe Sink & Counter After Use" - another half dozen over the counter, obviously instigated by the cleaning crew. They must have had a say with the no food sign, too.

  ...and my all time favorite, in each stall:

  

  "HOLD LEVER TO FLUSH THOROUGHLY"

  I will give the society credit. The signs are much neater and more polite than the home-made office versions, such as "Your Mother Doesn't Work Here"
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  palmtree67

  " OMG!!! This door is slightly ajar!! What should we do??? Help us, governing body!! For the love of God, we need direction here!! "
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  OnTheWayOut

  Those are pretty good. They have to make the members feel "under control" at all times.
  
  They do love their signs:

  
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  carla

  haha, those are hilarious! are all kh's like that?
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  5thGeneration

  I don't get it.

  Critizing how they word signs???

  That's a new one.
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  jgnat

  Until I went to an assembly hall, I thought government offices were the worst. Signage, signage everywhere and not a helpful person in sight. I have a sharp eye for how people are directed, so I take note when I see it. Another pet peeve of mine are the ratty, hundred year old home-made signs posted by the till at greasy spoons.

  The JW's have a distinctive writing style. In both the magazines and obviously, spillage on to the signage, passive third person voice is employed. Big words are better than little. Why use three words when five will do? This has an impact on the reader. Besides having a tendency to put one to sleep, the overall impression is of importance, of objectivity and studiousness. Harsh language is couched, making it easier to swallow. Strip the stringy language, and the message looks a lot more loopy.

  With the signs, the message is order, control, conformity.
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  Open mind

  Hopefully the locals had enough sense after posting:

  "Please Wipe Sink & Counter After Use"

  not to also include this often-used favorite from District Conventions:

  "One Paper Towel Per Person"

  om
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  shamus100

  I've heard they are going to have rules for wiping your butt - Stay tuned....
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  dgp

  Interesting.
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  knock knock

  Hmmmm, we need one like this at work. Signs should be informative afterall.