Is this HARD evidence that the INTERNET is hurting the Watch Tower Society?

by cedars 87 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Aussie Oz

  The overall graph shows the biggest increase 4.58% in the countries with 90-100% internet penetration. In this case, the internet supports growth...awwww scary Great effort, no doubt. Numerical analysis looks sound, just the graph contradicts it, IM
  cedars	Re: Is this HARD evidence that the INTERNET is hurting the Watch Tower Society? posted ~ 13 hours ago (12/22/2011)
  Post 1044 of 1056 Since 8/7/2011	Well spotted Yan Bibiyan - well spotted, I only just noticed that myself. I'll post a revised graph in a short while...

  Pardon my intrusion here but...If you made a graph that actually showed what Yan Bibiyan picked up, how can you 'revise' it? stats are stats are they not? just asking...

  oz
• 

  ScenicViewer

  The original graph had a mistake in it, a reversed axis (it was axis backwards... ). Ceders didn't really revise is, just corrected it, and did it the way it should have been. He is the one who made the graph to start with.

  Edit: Oops! I see Cedars is here. Now you've got the best answer of all.
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  cedars

  Hi Aussie Oz, glad you asked!

  When I produced the graph using the Microsoft Excel program, I removed the original text on photoshop and replaced it with clearer and more legible fonts to make the results easier to read. The problem was, I put the information on the X axis in back to front, which rendered the graph incorrect. The actual figures I've posted on page 1 of this thread show where the data comes from, and the "repaired" graph depicts those figures - which haven't been tampered with in any way. Therefore, in revising the graph, I was simply repairing the formatting, I wasn't revising the figures. Does that make sense?

  Cedars
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  WTWizard

  One explanation is that having the resources readily available to cross-reference this religion cuts down drastically on the number of people that fall for the scam. This is the same for virtually every scam--including most infomercials. You go on and research the infomercial or product, find that 80% experienced delivery problems or the products were crap when they got them, so others don't fall into the same scam. Without the Internet, you need to actually waste the money to try the product--and often get ripped off with long delivery times and/or mis-delivery, excessive charges for handling, crap products, and recurring credit card charges for rubbish.

  Now, if I have been able to research many an infomercial without ordering products since I got my computer, imagine how many did the same when the witlesses called on them the first time. They take the rags and go online, using a search engine to research the religion. When they find that virtually every credible site has negative opinions about the religion, they are able to cross-reference whether it even abides by the Bible. That's what usually destroys the call.
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  OnTheWayOut

  The internet is and will hurt WTS. WTS kept changing how they "count" publishers in order to maintain growth. I think that they are running out of ways to do this, so that means trouble to posting "growth."

  They probably are aware, but they have long ago entered into fake numbers. There are tons of members who turn in fake reports to keep the elders off their asses. The elders push members to turn in "something" every month which actually perpetuates the fake numbers system. WTS may have actually broken 7 million members, but regardless of their reports, they have already peaked (in my opinion).
• 

  man oh man

  If JW's were for sale on amazon, in my review I would give them 0 out of 5 stars!!!
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  cedars

  WTWizard, your comment struck a chord with me:

  Now, if I have been able to research many an infomercial without ordering products since I got my computer, imagine how many did the same when the witlesses called on them the first time. They take the rags and go online, using a search engine to research the religion. When they find that virtually every credible site has negative opinions about the religion, they are able to cross-reference whether it even abides by the Bible. That's what usually destroys the call.

  Not long before I left, I had a bible study with a girl I met on the minstry. I didn't know at the time how brief it would be, but I was excited because she was one of only a very small number of people whom I had managed to convince to study with me having met them on 'first call'. Also, she had family who were Witnesses and who were encouraging her to join. However, one day she told me she had been researching Witnesses online. I think she told me to illustrate how seriously she was taking it, but I reacted the normal Witness way, and told her not to research JWs online under any circumstances. Not long after that, the study fell apart. This incident, not long before my awakening, illustrates to me what I feel must be happening to many more around the world. If you research JWs online, you are not going to be left with a favorable impression. Period.

  Whilst the figures I've shown can never constitute definitive evidence, they do point to the internet being a very real thorn in the side of the Governing Body. It is therefore no surprise that they are increasingly vehement in their opposition to it.

  Cedars
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  cyberjesus

  Interesting data, and a lot of work. But as its has been pointed out is not evidence the internet is hurting the WT. Is evidence that SOME of the countries that have more internet had less growth.. but only some. There are countries with lots of growth in areas with more internet.. and there are countries with less growth and less internet.. and those dont prove a thing.

  just saying.
• 

  cedars

  cyberjesus:

  Interesting data, and a lot of work. But as its has been pointed out is not evidence the internet is hurting the WT. Is evidence that SOME of the countries that have more internet had less growth.. but only some. There are countries with lots of growth in areas with more internet.. and there are countries with less growth and less internet.. and those dont prove a thing.

  I appreciate your thoughts, but surely you're downplaying this a little too heavily? Given the fact that the averages show a definite trend, wouldn't it be more accurate to say that MOST (and not SOME) of the countries with access to the internet have slower growth? That's certainly what the figures point to, as any statistician can plainly see, although there will always be exceptions to the rule. Everything else that you say I would agree with.

  Cedars
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  ziddina

  Cedars - wow!!!

  You've really put forth a lot of effort!!!

  Thank you so very much for this project - I've already found it most informative - I loved the country-by-country breakdown...

  Zid