Repetition in magazines and/or study articles Listing?

robhic

I've read here on many occasions where the current WT article or an Awake! article was just recycled from an earlier publication. For example purposes only, say a WT article from 2/15/04 was just a re-spun, change a few words here and there recycling of an earlier article from, say, Awake! 5/30/89. (I'm not a JW so please bear with me if all my nomenclature isn't completely correct.) Sometimes I've read where it was even a simple cut-and-paste recycling of an earlier article.

My question is this: Is there a compilation of these "do-overs" that someone with access to the publications has done or knows about? Can anyone point me to a site or thread that covers this to any extent? Where a current article is an older article retitled and just pasted in? Is this even possible? My reasons are that I would find it interesting to be able to show my JW girlfriend when she exclaims about a wonderful talk or the article itself that it's merely a repeat of an earlier one. (She was overwhelmed by the talk Tuesday 6/14/2004 about how all people have problems, troubles, health, financial and personal crises, etc. I told her anyone with 1/2 a brain could have told her that and that I could have given her that bit of brilliant information and saved her an hour's worth of her time. She didn't really get my implication...)

I'd be interested in what she would say if I told her a study article she read and found so "encouraging" was just a repeat of the same message from a few months or years back. Then I'd make (I'm sure ) a smart-ass comment about there not being much new coming from the WTS these days and they're just lazily repeating (regurgitating...) previous "light."

Any help or information would be appreciated. I wonder if this could be done easily if it has not been done already. I guess you'd need the new articles and a bunch of back copies of different publications (along with a good memory!) and some time. Oh well, just thought I'd ask this scholarly bunch! You guys are SO smart! (A little ass-kissing never hurts...)

Thanks for any and all input.

Robert

dorothy

Lot's of recycling going on in the WTs. I've only been going for a few years and have already seen a re-do about "adopting a waiting attitude."

I guess there's only so many shades of crap.

mineralogist

I don't know any specific articles or talks - but it is well known by JW that they always here the same recycled stuff. As Solomon already wrote "there is nothing new under the heaven". An elderly JWs said to me she enjoys these repetitions as it reminds on things already forgotten.

(this post is made of 100% recycled bits)

tazmaniac

It all seems to be the same drivel all the time anyway. The average JW doesnt keep up with reading the magazines. If it werent for the service meeting some woiuld never open them.

Justin

I've heard of this, but never saw it documented. Unless someone can show otherwise, it's possible that the constant repetition of certain words and phrases creates the illusion that many of the articles are just rewrites. Over the years we've heard phrases such as "whole-souled service," "Jehovah's theocratic organization," "last days," and "sacred service" ad nauseum.

blondie

Searching the WT-CD shows how the WTS cuts and pastes sometimes almost word for word. Also certain topics come up every year, such as a WT study article about the Memorial timed to be studied just before the big day to make sure people know not to partake. Note that articles on Xmas appear on the magazines just about the time they are scheduled to be "offered" from door to door. There is a list of topics that get brought up every year.

I found this out when I was touring the WTS headquarters and had a behind the scene tour. I got to go in the room and touch the table where the GB meets every Wednesday. I was shown the research that goes into one WT article. I saw the cut and paste from past publications. I was shown how they choose the cover pictures of a magazine. Very little new research is done and only a few quotes from outside sources are used.

There is some flexibility to account for issues that flare up. They address problem trends they see from the CO and DO reports on congregations and circuits. The fact that the most recent QFR on blood this year are word for word from 2000, shows that there is nothing new under the sun at the WTS. There are as many as 60 people involved in the development of WT (or other) article. You have checkers checcking the checkers. Interestingly, recent publications have had spelling errors in them. I can remember one sister pointing to the fact that there were none that God's spirit was behind the articles. I guess the HS has abandoned the WTS now.

Blondie

Lady Lee

Here is a post I made a while ago about this topic. Not a lot of info but there is a bit

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/22307/1.ashx