by Sic Semper Tyrannis 423 Replies latest watchtower scandals
Can someone clarify the facts re: who was responsible for the auto-adding of members to the AAWA FB page?
J Mason Emerson 402 added/invited
Julia Barrick Douglas 263 added/invited
Jo Buel Jensen 132 added/invited
the rest are just normal facebook activity
If you are a member and want to leave:
I was force added to this group. I am upset because I was trying to keep a low profile on Facebook due to my mother shunning me because of a comment I made last year about the Conti case. It had leaked through the family grape vine because I am friends with 2 cousins on Facebook and one of them still has conntact with my family and it showed up on her feed and my family members saw it. My mother no longer talks to me because of this comment I made and I don't need some start up weird anti watchtower group that I didn't join to mess up any progress I may make with that situation. This could have been a really bad thing for me, in fact it still can, just because I haven't heard anything yet doesn't mean I won't. I don't need my mother to get anymore reasons to not talk to me.
Do I understand this right? When the problem emerged about people's identities being compromised on AAWA's Facebook page, Cedars' initial response wasn't to delete the Facebook page, instead it was to contact you privately to try and get you to drop the issue on the forum, with the threat he would try to reveal something he thought was damaging about the running of your site if you didn't?
WOW. Attempted blackmail? Really?!?!?! Add that to AAWA's list of selfless, "remarkable" deeds.
Actually, I think "attempted blackmail" is more than a little strong but I was disappointed that he chose to bring it up.
I'm sure he now thinks I'm the devil himself but hope he can look at thing objectively and see that I was trying to help prevent exactly this kind of never-ending PR nightmare by pushing for decisive action early on.
It's sad that things turned out the way they have.
Even if they were to shutdown and restart... what prevents an elder or someone trying to out others to set up a facebook account just for that purpose and ask to join the group. The same risk would be there. Using facebook just seems like a bad idea all around when it comes to protecting privacy. That said, I am not a facebook user so I certainly may not know what I am talking about.
Yes, you are exactly right. Which is why there is a huge, critical difference between being auto-referred and choosing to join a group - if you choose to, you take the risk on yourself, with eyes open, and full knowledge of the potential consequences. You have chosen to openly associate your name with this cause, and you are liable for the consequences. Fine. Or you can create a Facebook page under another name and chose to join under that, if you want. You have control.
But if you're one of 1,000 people mass-force-added, then you have NOT been allowed to make that choice.
Actually, I think "attempted blackmail" is more than a little strong but I was disappointed that he chose to bring it up.
Strong or not, I think it's definitely more evidence that he realizes he's in the wrong...otherwise, there'd be no reason to say, "well, if you don't drop this issue on the forums about me screwing up, I'm going to tell everybody I think *you* screwed up!"
It's sad that things turned out the way they have.
I don't think any AAWA founders have experience of building an online community for people exiting a high control group - steep learning curve.
They might still make it, but I would think disband, rethink and restart might be the better course - this time with some community builders onboard. (and a different name for a variety of reasons)
I wanted to place this as a topic, but out of respect to the rules, and to not conflict Simon with what his law is compared to how he feels about the situation, it's a post on this thread:
John Cedars:
I missed the announcement of this group and came into the subject after the ball had been dropped. Since then, I've said on a few occasions that we shouldn't forget that John Cedars is a friend to this site, despite pointing out parallels between him and the Watchtower Society.
Cedars writes just like a Watchtower writer in prose and structure, as well as inflating the importance and statistics of the AAWA. The latter is important because this is a man who prides himself on analytical skill, yet he fudges numbers and reality with the best of the Governing Body.
Just as on jw.org, one can see what Cedars' version of the Organization has to say about reality according to the group, but Jeebus forbid is anyone can comment on it publicly. Hell, privately would work, but this imaginary person named Cedars won't allow that.
Simon busted his @$$ for you Cedars during this JWN outrage over your security breach. He corrected many who made blind accusations about yourself and the AAWA and closed threads he believed would do more damage than good for JWN, the AAWA, faders, lurkers, the df'd, the da'd, and one John Cedars. He publicly acknowledged his desire for JWN to not question or harass AAWA Board Members who were on JWN.
He offered your own board a level of respectability and reverance that you alone are denying them.
And John Cedars, the Invisible Man, you take the sum of JWN for all of everything they are, and you look down your imaginary nose at all of them as though they are apostates. I joked on a previous thread about your bull$#!+ puff piece "Eventful Journey" that at least you hadn't called JWN "mentally diseased."
Close. You came very very close, but gave all the same disgust and pompous arrogance that the Governing Body gave the thousands of members of JWN and the millions of members of Jehovah's Witnesses that found an exit, and worse, the potential millions of members looking for an exit.
The people who called you friend told you what you needed to do and you spit on all of them. You insulted the home Simon gave you and pissed in his Kool-Aid.
John Cedars, you failed. Fall on your sword and let the non-existent VP of the AAWA take over so you don't bring it down with you.
Just like I said. You can take th boy out of the WT, but u can't always take the WT out of the boy.
Some of us aren't along on our journey as much as we represent
alright okage - don't pick up where you think Cedars left off - go build your own creds and come back and tell us where to find them - watching...
