I agree with you, metatron, that there are exagerrations and confusion in the article, but that the point it raises, is a very interesting one. There have been no "new thoughts" published for years, the literature is either recycled previous literature, and / or with points all the time simplified and made less and less specific but more and more general, it's becoming "simpler and easier" all the time.
The splinter groups in Poland and Romania and Hungary, though, is incorrect - these groups started in the 50s or 60s, and are a turn back to the Rutherfordian and Early-Knorr way of thinking.
Nethinim? If it were a hoax, then why has it become reality? It was meant to pave way for the great Crowd into the ruling organs, as the Governing Body faded away due to age and illness - and today, what has happened? The Great Crowd, the nethinim, rules the organizations. So, if it were ahoax, it came to be reality.
The circuit overseer here a couple of weeks ago stated that ALL articles in the Watchtower were read by at least one member of the Governing Body before being printed, and that that reading and studying process, checking ALL Bible and literature references etc., took from a couple of days and up to some weeks for each article, some taking up to several months. In fact, he said, he knew for a fact that one particular ste of articles had been checked for two years before it was printed.
A strange thing, that. When the Knowledge book came, no reference was made to the "generation" and 1914. But the book was issued in June / July, and it was not till the November Watchtower that the Generation Change occured. So the change had been made, but was not made public till half a year later. When the new book was now issued, and the chapters on blood and the anointed had been dropped, it makes you wonder what will appear in this year's November Watchtower. because, it's in the November issues it all appears, since the conventions are then over, and there is a long time till the next ones .......