Watchtower Library NOT identical to printed publications

cedars

Hi everyone

I realise the title of this thread will come as no surprise to many of you. I've certainly heard before of subtle variations between extracts from the Watchtower Library and the ACTUAL printed literature.

What I didn't expect was to find this openly admitted to in the License Agreement for the Watchtower Library, where it says in Article 4:

4. LIMITED WARRANTY. Watch Tower warrants that the medium upon which the SOFTWARE is provided to you is free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of 60 days from the date of delivery. Watch Tower warrants that the SOFTWARE will perform substantially in accordance with its electronic documentation.
DISCLAIMER. EXCEPT FOR THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH ABOVE, THE SOFTWARE AND THE ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTATION ARE PROVIDED TO YOU IN “AS IS” CONDITION WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES OF PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. YOU BEAR ALL THE RISK RELATING TO QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE. YOU ASSUME COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SELECTION AND INSTALLATION OF THE SOFTWARE. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO SOME PORTION OF THE STATED EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS THAT VARY AMONG JURISDICTIONS. WATCH TOWER DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE DATA IS IDENTICAL TO WATCH TOWER’S PUBLICATIONS.

Obviously, you don't expect much explanation in a License Agreement as regards actual reasons. Nevertheless, it would be fascinating to hear the official explanation as to why the Watch Tower Society REFUSES to guarantee that the material contained in the CD-ROM's "DATA" (or "electronic publications, text, articles, images, and recordings") is not identical within reason to the printed publications.

Thoughts?

(As always, if you haven't taken part in the 2012 JW Survey, please do so!)

Cedars

sabastious

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NbRKe7MZo4

-Sab

james_woods

Wonder if they should make the same kind of disclaimer in the printed literature: Warning - this material may be different from the eventual DVD we will make...

sir82

I would imagine that would be pretty typical in any publishing corporation's case. If they put information they previously printed onto a CD, they reserve the right to correct typos, incorrect information, etc.

I know it's fashionable to attribute sinister and malicious motives to everything the WTS does, but in this case, I don't see an issue.

Would you expect, I don't know, Time magazine, to faithfully reproduce typos and other mistakes in its CD copies of its materials?

I know your implication is that the WTS will nefariously go back and change older articles to agree with "current truth" so that it appears there have never been any changes.

I suppose that is possible, but even if so, so what?

1) Current loyal JWs are generally too lazy and/or mentally deficient to do anything resembling research anyway

2) Ex-JW "apostates" are already aware of 100's of flip-flops and inconsistencies

3) The rest of humanity, 99.9% of the world's population, just doesn't care

If any from group (1) do awaken mentally, there are dozens or hundreds of resources from group (2) to help them along.

CaptainSchmideo

One obvious difference (which has always been disappointing to me) was the lack of accompanying illustrations to the articles. This line covers their legal liability, if their is any, or this aspect of the CD, I suppose.

Of course, I can buy a lot of archival discs of other publications that are in .pdf format, fully searchable, copy and pastable. But the WTBS never does things the logical way. And why still on CD? DVD hold many times more, they could get the entire print run, Rutherford's Rainbow, Russell's works, and, oh, uh, never mind....

james_woods

Sir82 is right, of course - but it is such fun to find dark currents in all their actions.

OUTLAW

Good Morning Cedars!..

The WBT$ edits their literature long after it`s been distributed..

But..

It`s OK because they admit it..

........................ ...OUTLAW

Terry

Plausible Deniability!

Or, as the Legal world might say: "What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away!"

cedars

sir82 - I hear exactly what you're saying. What surprises me is that the Society cannot even warrant that the material will be identical "within reason", or (in other words) no different in substance or meaning from the original. They would, of course, excuse themselves by saying that this is a legal contract and not something that is required to go into any detail. I just find it curious that they admit there are (or may be) differences so openly.

Cedars

00DAD

Why even bother stating it?

What a bunch of goofballs.

Watchtower Library NOT identical to printed publications

Share this