I think my first contact was to download the KM when they set up the restriction that non-publishers could not receive it (or some dumb rule like that).
Even after reading a lot here, I too hesitated to "join" for fear of giving up too much information about me. I'm sure I opened a separate email account to register and have no idea what it is now.
Being a JW for so many years causes you to think that everyone is "out to get ya".