Probing Questions

Farkel

There have been a whole BUNCH of probing questions in new threads lately. People are encouraged to spill their guts out on the most sensitive of topics including jeopardizing their identities with questions about what they like on their pizzas.

Just call me old fashioned, but some of these polls look like information-gathering the WTS would love to mine. "Name COs who were jerks." "Who is the worst elder you ever knew", "What was the worst JC you know about?", ad infinitum.

I'm not pointing any fingers, but I'm a bit concerned that information from these "polls" is being used by the WTS and may (or may not) affect their yet latest policies at damage control.

I'm not making any assertions, but it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that the WTS would plant posters here to "mine" information from opposers with polls and provacative questions so they can get the drift of what their opposers are doing and thinking.

If any of my considerations are correct, then some of us are being played for suckers by the WTS. If all of my considerations are wrong, then there is nothing to worry about.

EXCEPT: I know from one of my insider sources that the WTS routinely monitors this board. I've seen enough stuff happen over the last six or so years and I've seen people post who were clearly Bethel lawyers trying to "mine" for information.

Be careful about board polls, I guess. Unless you don't give a rat what they can learn to use against some of us.

minimus: I'm not talking about you. I consider you to be harmless fun. No worries there. "Are you or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?"

Farkel

Edited by - Farkel on 6 January 2003 1:42:37

Robdar

Fark,

I have wondered the same thing too. There have been many questions posted here that have caused my ears to prick up. Be cautious, people. The WTS may be counting on the fact that we all love to talk about ourselves and our experiences.

Robyn

happysunshine

What!?! Are you serious? The WT HQ monitors this board? And what threads specifically are from lawyers? I find this hard to believe. I like you Farkel, but are you paranoid?

Farkel

Robyn,

Yeah, I concur. We ex-Dubs maybe go overboard with our trust of people. Ex-dubs tend to go overboard on everything that was denied to them in WatchtowerLife(tm), and that includes trust. In dub life we trusted no one outside of our own (and many of them screwed us because of that), and in ex-dub life we trust everyone who claims to be ex-dubs (and many of them are dirtbags).

Caution is all that I suggest, Robyn.

Farkel

Prisca

Do you mean probing questions like "Are you still bashing your wife/child/dog?"

Although it's possible that the WTS plants people to ask questions that will trick people into revealing personal information, it is also our responsibility to be careful as to how much info and what info we reveal. No one forces us to type anything as a reply, or even to reply at all.

Several times I have held back from answering a post simply because I wouldn't be able to make a meaningful reply without revealing some personal information that I don't want to make public. Sometimes that makes me feel that I'm not helping the poster or someone reading my reply that could have been helped by it, but my privacy is very important to me.

Unfortuately I am not in the position where I can be as open about myself as other posters. Maybe that will change one day, maybe it won't. But in the meantime, I accept the responsibility of what information I give out, and to whom.

bikerchic

Say it ain't so Farkel!

~~Katie~~

Farkel

happysunshine,

I was told by a very well connected and high-ranking Watchtower person from the Brooklyn Bethel that the Watchtower Publishing Corporation regulary and routinely monitors high-profile boards like this. He said there are several reasons for this: 1) The society wants to know what "high profile" opposers are saying about them and 2) they want to know if elders, CO, DOs and other important Watchtowerites are posting and what they are saying. (They are.)

This is a fact. I don't give a rat if you believe it or not. This is a fact.

Farkel

Prisca,

You said:

: Although it's possible that the WTS plants people to ask questions that will trick people into revealing personal information, it is also our responsibility to be careful as to how much info and what info we reveal. No one forces us to type anything as a reply, or even to reply at all.

DOH! That was the whole purpose of my post!

Geeeeeeesh!

Farkel

Prisca

Glad I was able to summarise it for you Farks!

onacruse

Farkel, good reminder. As you say, I tend to be too trusting, and too freely to grant the "benefit of doubt." Not unusual that you and others here have to hit me upside the head with a 2x4 before the word "troll" starts to ring. Doh.

Heck, I even trust YOU! What does that say about my sanity?

Craig

Probing Questions

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