by Paralipomenon 17 Replies latest jw friends
Factfinder
The sad thing is that I was actually convinced (for a few years) by this elder that this was am automatic translator/printer... This was one of the things I used to tell co-workers whenever they made fun of me for being a JW... that and 1914...
I felt really stupid when I finally realized that the information circulating about MEPS (and 1914) was completely distorted (like everything else that comes from the WT...)
Alfred-
I am sorry that you were given wrong information about MEPS by that elder. There must have been much confusion regarding what MEPS can do because in 1985 a second article on MEPS appeared in g (don't remember which issue) explaing that it does NOT TRANSLATE.
That is a shame the misinformation that elder gave you caused you embarressment as you shared that info with co-workers.
But as you stated, misinformation and distorted information DOES appear in articles in the w & g. The 2011 YB mentions how careful and accurate the writing dept always is, but that is not true!
One of the articles about the addition to the Wallkill printery in the w made the statement that the presses are on a floor that has the same area as 9 football fields. Yet, according to the KM, the new addition has 140,000 sq ft! Nine football fields cover over 500,000 sq ft.
I think such articles get assigned to people who do not have a full understanding of what they are writing. It took me several years of research to discover that the entire printery has 802,917 sq ft, that area is equal to more than 18 acres or about the same area of about 14 football fields. The Wallkill factory is really 4 interconnected buildings. They were completed in 1973, 1975, 1983 and 2004. The 1973 factory is used as the "services building", the 1975 building houses the Book Bindery and various shops , the 1983 addition is the wharehouse and the 2004 building is the pressroom and shipping dept.
Once out in FS, I was told by someone that they heard the Watchtower Society has the biggest printing press in the world! While the presses at Bethel are huge, over 100 feet long and 15-18 feet high, there are longer presses. For instance, some Newspaper presses are more than 300 feet long! And there is a commercial Catalog Press that is over 3 stories tall! (Sunday Press)
I think most people have little knowledge of the printing industry. Thus, misinformation and sensationalistic stories become commonplace.
I'm sure there were A LOT of people under the wrong impression of what MEPS can do, Alfred.
But it is a unique system which allows the society's translators to prepare text and images for publications in many languages which can then be printed simoultaneously in those languages. No other company prints in as many languages as Watchtower, which prints in over 500! The next closest is RR Donnelly & Sons Company (The worlds largest commercial printer) which prints in 81 languages.
My purpose for this was to try to find some patents that the WT holds. They must hold some and I figured I could track some down based on this machine. Back then, they were still expecting the end to come and didn't care about legal paper trails.
I was curious what the information held for inventor name, current patent holder, etc. Unfortunately I didn't find much other than the resume of someone that used to work on it and the reference to a publication called "Web Catcher Manual" apparently published by the WT that I wasn't familiar with.
Tree Waster 3000?
Paralipomenon-
I think the WTS makes sure such information is kept as secret as possible. But they also invented wrapping machines for magazine subscriptions at the Wallkill printery and before that, the AMAC magazine wrapper. They have made numerous machines over the years to use in the printery and bindery.
I have no clue how one could go about finding out patent information on them. Perhaps because they are non-profit and privatly held certain information is never published?
Good one, Mac. How about a more scientific-sounding name, like the PanDruicide '86er? Seems like "MEPS" is one of the more irritating monosyllabic responses you get when questioning the Witnesses causes them to go into Auto-Dub mode... you know, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, This Still Must Be Jehovah's Organization For Such A Feat Could Never Have Been Acheived Without His Holy Spirit. "MEPS!" Beldar, prepare the senso rings! Consume mass dendrites!
Agonus, thats hiliarious. Reminds me of Coneheads.
Wasnt that special assembly day a while ago focused around a new amazing printing press the society acquired? Only a few congregations were invited for some reason. My wife dragged me out and the assembly hall was packed so we were all crammed in the lunch room listening on the speakers to the video about how this new printing technology was truly guided by jehovah. Ive spent better saturdays hungover, lying next to the shitter.
The printing stuff interests me. I went to school for printing and wanted that to be my career. It never worked out, my first job was in a printing company that made school yearbooks and senior citizen newspapers but I was put in the strip up/paste up dept, not the pressroom. I did not do well in the job and only lasted 3 weeks. After that I could not get another printing job- they had experienced pressman and no one would give me a chance.
But I am still a printing nerd! I watched a youtube video on the new press the society has in Canada that prints 100,000 per hour-yep! Its pretty neat to me!
I do not know if that is the press they spoke about at the SAD you went to ranmac, but that is the fasest press the society now has, well, as far as I know. To those in the printing indusry presses like that are pretty impressive! Of course, the press was built and designed by men. If Jehovah was having a press made then it would be built at Bethel-yet the society always has to buy their presses from "worldly" companies- and the one I mentioned is made by MAN Roland- it is a LITHOMAN lll, I believe-to us printing nerds - its impressive!
