Why isn't the "Awake!" available online?
1. It would be free. They could set up a paypal line or equivalent for those would want to donate to the worldwide work.
2. It would encourage "the brothers" to use the worldly internet. This is true but then they already have a website that is listed on the bottom of the back page of every WT and Awake. It would save the cost of printing if more JWs printed their own. But many JWs still don't have PCs.
3. They need the "donations" from the print copies. I don't know about other areas of the world, but in this area no JW likes to and few do ask for donations. Most consider it not appropriate (see below).
km 9/01 p. 1 Are You Thoroughly Accomplishing Your Ministry? ***Add a brief conclusion to encourage your listener to read the magazine and a brief statement, if appropriate, that the householder may make a donation to the worldwide work of Jehovah?s Witnesses.
This is what the WTS suggested and most JWs I know find it improbable to follow IRL.
km 3/91 p. 2 Meetings to Help Us Make Disciples ***
Householder asks: "How much is it?" Publisher replies: "If you will read it, there is no charge. You can see here on the publishers? page that this magazine is part of a worldwide Bible educational work and is supported by voluntary donations. [Refer to statement on page 4 of Awake! and in lower right-hand column of page 2 of The Watchtower.] I am just one of more than four million Jehovah?s Witnesses who have volunteered their time and resources to accomplish this vital work in over two hundred lands. If others wish to make a small donation toward the work, they are welcome to do so." Householder donates and publisher puts money in envelope he carries for that purpose. He expresses appreciation for donation offered and says he will stop by with next issues of the magazines.
4. The G.B. don't have computers. That could be true of the older ones but I know plenty of 70 and 80 year old JWs that have PCs and use them all the time. At least 4 of the GB are 70 and under too.
5. Service Department don't want the I.T. department to expand. Too late, they already have been expanding every year. That is the nature of any business that wants to succeed, and this is a publishing business.
6. They just love the magazines! If they loved the magazines they wouldn't be cutting it to one issue a month.
7. They love the smell of the paper. Just stuff some toilet paper up their nostrils, changing as needed.
8. They can carry the Awake! with them wherever they go. Magazines come in MP3 now; aren't there small devices that will display them? Also, what stops them from printing a copy to carry wherever.
9. You can't show web page hits as placements. And why not? When you are the one making the rules, you can do whatever you want. They could count downloads as placements.
10. They want to boast of circulation figures. Now they can boast of web page hits.
11. You can't offer a laptop on the train. Is it possible to copy over a magazine from your MP3 player to someone else's.
12. It's not that important. That is true; the WTS feels the WT is the mouthpiece that God uses to convey his messages (not the Bible).
13. The R&F would be given an excuse to spend more time in front of their PC screens. More time than they already spend in front of the TV?
14. Beats me - do you know? I think the WTS is still afraid that someone will hack the WT/Awake and alter it and trick people into thinking it represents the WTS doctrine.
15. Other (please detail) Actually, the WTS does have the Awake online just not the current semi-monthly (soon to be monthly) issues. I think it is all a control issue. But JWs already forget to pick up their magazines and have to rely on copies handed out at the WT study (and you know they haven't read or studied it then). So many JWs don't even read the magazines now before they use them in the door to door or personally. They just pile up in the corner closet.
Blondie