Will Embracing the Internet lead to Increased Growth for the Watchtower?

by jwfacts 74 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    The WTS is too far behind to catch up. A growth company cannot simply have a website today; they must interact with their customers; this means savvy use of social media, a slick app for the iphone/ipad users, monitoring and contributing to twitter chatter....

    Web 2.0

    The WTBTS is so far behind, so unidirectional in its information control, it can't possibly adapt.

  • EmptyInside
    EmptyInside

    It's one thing to read something on their website,it's another thing for someone to study,and change their life to become a Witness.

  • jwfacts
    jwfacts

    Good point about loosing google space. I was also wondering why they are choosing jw.org rather than watchtower.org, as I would have assumed watchtower is a more searched term and would be better as their root domain. They could retain and redirect jw.org to watchtower.org anyway, so there does not seem to be any benefit over the shorter url.

  • Billy the Ex-Bethelite
    Billy the Ex-Bethelite

    "interact with their customers... savvy use of social media"

    Gosh, do you think they'll have a discussion forum or allow posting of comments to articles?

  • PaintedToeNail
    PaintedToeNail

    Maybe they are trying to distance themselves from the name 'Watchtower', so it looks more biblical, rather than odd. How many people in places other than the Eurasian Continent, even know what a watchtower is? I've never seen one in North America, except the odd cranulated tower on some of the old KHs.

    'Watchtower' magazine is associated with annoying people pounding on your door on Saturday morning. Yet, you may actually LIKE a JW that you work with, as long as they aren't constantly preaching at you, so you may be curious enough to look up their religion. I doubt anyone is curious enough to look up the magazine.

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    Gosh, Billy, I think not.

  • jwfacts
    jwfacts

    Allowing comments after articles would be tragic for the Watchtower. Most JWs make comments that appear delusional, and exJWs (Blondie comes to mind) would tear apart the incosistencies of each article. The only way it would work would be if the Watchtower filtered out all comments that they did not like.

  • Billy the Ex-Bethelite
    Billy the Ex-Bethelite

    "The only way it would work would be if the Watchtower filtered out all comments that they did not like."

    Perhaps a comment from 'Andre' will be posted on every article, "This is the best article yet! Thanks to Jehovah and his Faithful Slave Class!" After that, all comments will be disabled.

  • Juan Viejo2
    Juan Viejo2

    PaintedToeNail: " Maybe they are trying to distance themselves from the name 'Watchtower', so it looks more biblical, rather than odd. How many people in places other than the Eurasian Continent, even know what a watchtower is? I've never seen one in North America, except the odd cranulated tower on some of the old KHs."

    Actually, in America there are many "watchtowers." Discounting the ones located deep in the national parks and forest lands used by firewatchers and forest rangers, the primary use of "watchtowers" in this country is at our prisons to keep the population inside from escaping into the population outside the walls. You'll see watchtowers spaced near the corners of the walls and entrances overlooking the exercise yards and garden areas. The guards usually have "shoot to kill" orders should anyone try to escape or create an uprising within the walls.

    So it is appropriate that the Watchtower uses that for their corporate name. They try to keep their imprisoned members within their walls and all other influences outside. Anyone who manages to escape is "spiritually killed" by the organization. The only ones with any power or authority are the ones making the rules - and like prison authorities, they can change rules often and without reason. The warden and his staff do not need a reason for changing the rules or have to explain to the prisoners why rules that worked in the past don't apply for the future. Many inside (including the guards) want to leave, but can't because they will either "lose their lives" or lose their pensions.

    JV

  • Justitia Themis
    Justitia Themis

    I think its possible that they will pick-up some members, but I do not think they will get very many. Anti-government militias and radical Islamists have used the internet to gain converts, yet I suspect the people they atract already have those leanings. I can see a similar thing happening with JWs. I have always suspected that they have a long range plan to shift even publishers to printing off their own magazines. The only thing stronger than their dislike of the internet is their greed. If they can shift the costs to the rank/file, I suspect they will. And, as is often the case with decisions based on greed, they will pay the price because the internet will become less stigmatized.

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