Posts by thedepressedsoul

39

Publisher ID - I Saw It In Person & It Was Terrifying!

by thedepressedsoul in

i'd like to start off this post by saying, we all know that the wt loves control.

it's clear by their history, their wt's, the elder arrangement and so on.

however, after witnessing and using the publish id program in person, it takes this need for control to a whole new level & it was scary.. if you've ever seen builder assist (the website program used for ldc volunteers) or the metro program, it actually looks pretty similar to that.

thedepressedsoul

Good question. I'm not in the UK and didn't know anyone from there to lookup. I was wondering the same thing after though.

39

Publisher ID - I Saw It In Person & It Was Terrifying!

by thedepressedsoul in

i'd like to start off this post by saying, we all know that the wt loves control.

it's clear by their history, their wt's, the elder arrangement and so on.

however, after witnessing and using the publish id program in person, it takes this need for control to a whole new level & it was scary.. if you've ever seen builder assist (the website program used for ldc volunteers) or the metro program, it actually looks pretty similar to that.

thedepressedsoul

I'd like to start off this post by saying, we all know that the WT loves control. It's clear by their history, their WT's, the Elder arrangement and so on. However, after witnessing and using the Publish ID program in person, it takes this need for control to a whole new level & it was scary.

If you've ever seen Builder Assist (the website program used for LDC volunteers) or the Metro program, it actually looks pretty similar to that. A basic web looking app with a search bar, information, login and so on. Here's what's interesting.

More people have access to it than I thought. Specific people at Bethel have access, certain remote bethelites and people not even at Bethel. Higher up LDC members, Assembly Hall Overseers, CO's etc... There is a lot, and I mean a lot of information at their finger tips.

They can't login directly or use the program on their remote computer. They have to first login to a computer running on a server. Basically, it's a older version of Windows OS running on a server. Each one is assigned one of these virtual computers. It's unclear if their server is running the OS on Microsofts servers or on Bethels servers. That's the first step. They have to login to their virtual, assigned computer. From there, they can bring up the Publish ID program. It runs like a regular Windows program, meaning it's not a web browsers program. From there though, it looks like a web program running inside of this Windows programs.

Here's where it gets scary though.

The individual showing me this said think of any name or a brother or sister that you know. I spit out a random name of Joe Publisher who attends 1 Sunday meeting per month. They type their name in. To my disbelief his name pops up... He was in this database. So they click on the name. A card style view shows up and it displays their address, phone number, congregation, date of baptism, if there was any congregation privileges, male or female. There was even a photo ID spot were if they had a picture on file it would be displayed.

It gets even crazier. There's a "Documents" section under this person name. In that section is displays any application they submitted, and "incidents" that happened with this person, correspondences, if or why they were removed as a elder or MS. Literally a full record of just this one person was a few clicks away from the individual showing me this program.

I spit out more names. Every name, came up with the exact same information. This is a huge database! I even gave my own name and saw all of my information that the branch had on me. If you were baptized & I'd even go as far to say a unbaptized publisher, you are in this database.

I gave a generic last name and it displayed "Showing 200 results of 3,000". You can then do a more refined search. Add in the state, congregation, phone number and you will find the exact person you want.

I asked the person showing me if there were different levels of access you could be granted. I know on Builder Assist you can be granted different access levels which displays more information, lets you access parts others can't, make changes and so on. They said they didn't know. However, their access level already displayed a ton of information on each person. I assume there are different levels that display even more.

I left very creeped out by how much information was in this database. How much info there was on me, my friends, family and how easy it was for them to access this information.

They always talk about protecting our brothers and sisters from the government in the time of the end. If 1 official got access to this info they'd have every piece of info on every witness and could go right to their house since their address is in this database. It makes no sense!

I think the scariest part was realizing I am forever in this database. It doesn't matter if I leave, I will still be part of their database.

I don't see how something like this is even legal without providing consent. Any person I could think of, we typed their name in and there they were. There was not one time that we couldn't find the person who I named.

8

Organized Book Change

by thedepressedsoul in

i made this post yesterday.

i couldn't remember my login info for this account.

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6247826114740224/update-change-od-coming-soon.

thedepressedsoul

I made this post yesterday. I couldn't remember my login info for this account.

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6247826114740224/update-change-od-coming-soon

I don't have the exact info. Other than the CO's have received the updated change already so we should expect the actual copy to be updated soon.

It's a big enough change that the CO's had to be notified ahead of time on what the change was.

108

New Upcoming Changes - No More Publisher Record Cards & Reporting Hours

by thedepressedsoul in

publisher record cards and reporting hours will be going away.

.

coming soon.. made this post 4 years ago, it happened - https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/24020002/kingdom-consolidation-sales-coming-reliable-source.

thedepressedsoul

Look I don't care if people believe me or not. They didn't in the past.

When it's "announced" though, you'll have heard it before all the members did.

Just like the selling off of Kingdom Halls. You had 2+ years notice before any member did.

108

New Upcoming Changes - No More Publisher Record Cards & Reporting Hours

by thedepressedsoul in

publisher record cards and reporting hours will be going away.

.

coming soon.. made this post 4 years ago, it happened - https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/24020002/kingdom-consolidation-sales-coming-reliable-source.

thedepressedsoul

Sorry can't go further than that.

Some people pretty "high up" & close though.

108

New Upcoming Changes - No More Publisher Record Cards & Reporting Hours

by thedepressedsoul in

publisher record cards and reporting hours will be going away.

.

coming soon.. made this post 4 years ago, it happened - https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/24020002/kingdom-consolidation-sales-coming-reliable-source.

thedepressedsoul

Publisher record cards and reporting hours will be going away.

Coming soon.

Made this post 4 years ago, it happened - https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/24020002/kingdom-consolidation-sales-coming-reliable-source

18

GB Private Gazebo @ Warwick - Someone Proposed There & It Didn't Go Well...

by thedepressedsoul in

at warwick there is a gazebo overlooking the lake.

it's a nice peaceful setting.

well someone had the bright idea they were going to propose while they were at warwick.

thedepressedsoul

At Warwick there is a gazebo overlooking the lake. It's a nice peaceful setting. Well someone had the bright idea they were going to propose while they were at Warwick. They see this Gazebo and walk out to. He proposes to her and they take some nice pictures there of each other to remember their engagement.

Well, a few minutes later Bethels version of the secret service comes running down the hill. A bunch of these guys tell them that they can't be there, this is for the GB use only. They meet there on Wednesdays when it's nice out instead of meeting in their office.

It gets even crazier! They made them delete all the photos they took at this location. They gave some weird reason that they don't want tourist coming down and taking pictures of the gazebo and idolizing it because the GB have their meetings there on Wednesday on nice days. & that they didn't want other people getting the idea that this would be a good place to get engaged at.

I can confirm this story 100% down to the smallest detail. One of the weirdest things I've ever witnessed. Talk about an awkward engagement.

8

GB Private Gazebo @ Warwick - Someone Proposed There & It Didn't Go Well...

by thedepressedsoul in

at warwick there is a gazebo overlooking the lake.

it's a nice peaceful setting.

well someone had the bright idea they were going to propose while they were at warwick.

thedepressedsoul

At Warwick there is a gazebo overlooking the lake. It's a nice peaceful setting. Well someone had the bright idea they were going to propose while they were at Warwick. They see this Gazebo and walk out to. He proposes to her and they take some nice pictures there of each other to remember their engagement.

Well, a few minutes later Bethels version of the secret service comes running down the hill. A bunch of these guys tell them that they can't be there, this is for the GB use only. They meet there on Wednesdays when it's nice out instead of meeting in their office.

It gets even crazier! They made them delete all the photos they took at this location. They gave some weird reason that they don't want tourist coming down and taking pictures of the gazebo and idolizing it because the GB have their meetings there on Wednesday on nice days. & that they didn't want other people getting the idea that this would be a good place to get engaged at.

I can confirm this story 100% down to the smallest detail. One of the weirdest things I've ever witnessed. Talk about an awkward engagement.

12

All Donations Received @ KH During Annual Meeting Must Be Sent To The Branch

by thedepressedsoul in

i just got word that in all congregations where the annual meeting is being streamed, any donations received that day, even if put in the box for the local hall must be sent to the branch immediately.. there will be an announcement made before the program starts for this arrangement.

so the extra electric needed that day, heat/ac that the congregation has to pay for does not matter.

all money donated that day has to go to the branch..

thedepressedsoul

@john Davis - That's interesting. It was told to me that anything that day was to be forwarded to them.

5

Disaster Relief - Used to Beg For Money/Charity

by thedepressedsoul in

for a organization that "doesn't ask for money" they sure do ask a lot.. i've been noticing that over the last few months "disaster relief" has been brought up in almost everything jw.

wt, congregation study, broadcast, special updated video, etc.... & i've noticed two things every time it gets brought up, which is a lot lately.. they talk about giving physically and how much money will be needed for the disaster relief work.

that we should be generous.

thedepressedsoul

For a organization that "doesn't ask for money" they sure do ask a lot.

I've been noticing that over the last few months "disaster relief" has been brought up in almost everything JW. WT, congregation study, Broadcast, special updated video, etc...

& I've noticed two things every time it gets brought up, which is a lot lately.

They talk about giving physically and how much money will be needed for the disaster relief work. That we should be generous. I bet a small fraction of donations goes to that. Yet, they are using these tragedies as a opportunity to fleece the flock making them think they need to donate a ton to help brother X on some island. Yet, they have no idea what portion of their money if used to actually help them. There isn't even a way to donate directly to the relief fund.

The 2nd thing I noticed is that that are touting this as a reason they are a charity to keep their tax free status.