I have just been disinvited to my brother's wedding - Thanks AAWA!

by Sic Semper Tyrannis 423 Replies latest watchtower scandals

  • maisha
    maisha

    I dont quite understand why you would want to use fake names when it is public domain whom you are and where you are and what you are.

    JOHN......AAwa is screwed...

    daily you are loosing face and as to attacking simons google url, hell you set yourself up for that didnt you?..

    I seriously DOubt that any credible exJW is a member.

    I would have joined, but impossible to do so with such a name let alone the shit surrounding these crazy facebook screwups!

    Probably why others of REAL CREDIBILITY resigned as well.

    To save face, you should shut it down.

    Apoligise to all affected and start again.

    that is how you will regain respect.

    Everyone likes your stuff John... but this is a huge fuck up!.

    shut it down, call for names, start again...

    NOTHING you do now will repair this into something good.

  • EdenOne
    EdenOne

    The issues with people being unwillingly added to Facebook groups isn't new ... see this blog entry - it contains a glaring example of this:

    http://weblogs.about.com/od/socialnetworking/qt/Beware-Of-Friends-Adding-You-To-Facebook-Groups-Without-Permission.htm

    Eden

  • slimboyfat
    slimboyfat

    It may not be unique to AAWA, but honestly, in over five years I don't think it has ever happened to me on Facebook that someone unilaterally added me to a group. Probably because it is against common courtesy. When it involves adding faders to an anti-Watchtower group it frankly defies comprehension. Those who say this problem is Facebooks's problem rather than AAWA's problem are wide of the mark. They could have solved it long ago by deleting the group and starting again if they wished.

  • fizzywiglet
    fizzywiglet

    You may be right here but i dont condone fizzy's continuous stirring.

    Yawn. Call the waaaaaaaahmbulance.

    Besty has openly used his real name on here and on freeminds so it s ridiculous to lambast julia for using it on facebook.

    WRONG. Whether his name is already widely known or not is irrelevant. She publicly libeled him. She made false accusations against him (to deflect, she projected her own despicable behavior onto him) and then tacked those accusations onto his name and photo on a public Facebook page and basically asked everyone to shun him. She had the audacity to vindictively retaliate against him for exposing a few of the lies that AAWA told to cover its ass. It's everything AAWA is not supposed to be about.

    Not to mention, AAWA wants to play "legal corporation", so they are held to higher standards than the average Joe Schmo. Richard Kelly is their Secretary-Treasurer and Incorporator, and he "liked" Julia's post and made a derogatory comment on it aimed towards Besty. So one of AAWA's directors has directly sanctioned Julia's actions. No distancing themselves from this one by blaming it on some "overenthusiastic volunteer". They've learned nothing. They still think they're random internet users who can sling whatever mud they like within their new official corporate capacities. They just do not get it . They are a corporation now and that means corporate responsibilities - they don't get to pull this shit without consequences.

    * * *

    To recap:

    1) AAWA told a bunch of lies this past week to try to downplay their role in compromising people's privacy. We're past "stretching the truth" here, people. These were flat-out lies .

    2) Besty posted the names of the three major culprits - all open/active apostates with no worries about being "outed" - and the number of people each had force-added to the group. This exposed several claims from AAWA's official statements as completely false.

    3) AAWA's Facebook page moderator, Julia Barrick Douglas, uses one of their official Facebook pages to publicly libel Besty, accuse him of putting group members at risk (false), and project her own misbehavior onto him. She publicly calls for his shaming and shunning by other AAWA members.

    4) Richard Kelly, one of the two remaining AAWA corporate officers (seeing as Barb Anderson bailed), someone who should maintain the utmost professionalism, "likes" Julia's post and joins in bashing Besty. (By the way, given the current shaky legal ground Richard Kelly stands on by knowingly signing and filing incorporation papers containing misrepresentations of material facts, he's the last person who should be invoking the word "crime" against Besty.)

    Your donations at work, people. I mean, seriously, look at what this "remarkable organization" has "accomplished" so far. A self-serving, falsehood-filled, puff piece blog post smearing JWN as a whole (that they deleted all negative/questioning comments from), and the director-sanctioned use of an AAWA official social media page to publicly settle a personal vendetta and libel somebody with a conscience who made them look like the idiots and liars they are by simply...telling the truth.

    Besty's very simple and forthcoming post exposed about 5 different lies that AAWA has told in the past week to cover their own asses, and he did it without putting a single fader at risk or divulging any sensitive information. AAWA's response is so unprofessional, hysterical, fearmongering, and shrilly over-the-top it is beyond belief. They can't defend their own behavior, so instead they pick a target to demonize to their members..."pay no attention to the man behind the curtain". Where, exactly, does this petty, vicious, indiscriminate, vigilante score-settling fit in with their "noble" mission statement? I'd love to know. It would actually be hilarious if it weren't so depressing. Every time I think they can't sink lower or it can't possibly get any worse, they manage to make some new wtf-worthy faux-pas. They are their own worst enemies.

    Anyways my response was:

    Thanks for the free PR :-) the 3 individuals I named on JWN should have thought about privacy issues before attempting to add 700 people to an anti-cult group, without their permission. I didn't name the numerous people who added just a few friends (in cluding the folks that added me and my wife without permission) as they have used facebook innocently and responsibly - naively maybe. But ye - make sure everyone knows I'm the bad guy. This is like watching amateurs crashing trains - you're doing it - you're just not sure how. Or how to stop it.

    Nice response, Besty. And of course, they immediately deleted it, but I'm sure you realized they would, because information control seems to be one of their new favorite tactics. They only have a problem with it when the Watchtower does it.

  • slimboyfat
    slimboyfat

    Good points fizzy. Considering Barbara has resigned, Cedars technically doesn't exist, and no other so-called board members are actually mentioned on the legal documentation, that leaves Richard Kelly as the sole person responsible for this legal AAWA entity. Who is he and what does he plan to do with the money he has collected? His actions outlined above do not inspire confidence.

  • besty
    besty

    I think they have taken the WARNING down from both their FB pages now :-) it will live forever on JWN though...

    It's a shame - I'm a huge admirer of some of the people that were original founders - Barb and Paul specifically - just they have some clueless people in responsible positions. Cedars being a pseudonym acerbates the identity issues.

    Whether its possible to herd ex-JW cats time will tell - and wow - FaceBook as a tool for doing it??? Seems to me that AAWA founders would have been better off having a full and frank with Simon about how JWN could play a part BEFORE launching into public social media nightmares.

    Why wouldn't you want to use the biggest, most vibrant ex-JW community as a launchpad? Hmmmm....Randy and I were always keen to avoid egos - there are a lot of large ones that need stroked at play here.

  • EntirelyPossible
    EntirelyPossible

    Besty....This is like watching amateurs crashing trains - you're doing it - you're just not sure how. Or how to stop it.

    I'm stealing that line. Brilliant.

  • Chaserious
    Chaserious

    I disagree with anyone who feels that Simon's moderation of this forum is abusive in any way. I've been mostly just watching the AAWA stuff unfold, and I don't think Simon said anything negative about AAWA until Cedars tried to orchestrate the locking of a thread on this site after he got what was intended to be the last word in. I don't blame Simon for taking umbrage at such an attempt to hijack this forum. IMO it came across as very high-handed and sadly seems to be exemplary of the tactics of the leadership there.

  • wha happened?
    wha happened?

    Well isn't it obvious thaat AAWA will out anyone they feel doesn't tow the line? It's kinda fanatical. I certainly didn't leave one fanatical organization, to support another fanatical organization, just because they disagree with the 1st organization.

    Hey what happened to the guy who was outted and can't go to a wedding? Oh yea, He was called a wimp and and asked why he should go to a wedding with JW's. All from an organization and it's minions who stand behind someone who is a coward and hides behind a cartoon character

  • sir82
    sir82

    Can't shake this feeling.....

    If the WTS wanted to "prove" to its followers that apostates are a bunch of crazed wackadoodle loonies who are full of blind hateful wrath, they could not have done much better than to have started something like AAWA and then immediately train-wreck it.

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