The Advocates for Awareness of Watchtower Abuses (AAWA) [WARNING]

by Simon 226 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  Simon

  AAWA administrators look up the Facebook account and if my privacy settings allow for it they send me an invitation to join the AAWA group along with a message that says you used the following email address to contact us: tylinbrando2 @ gmail

  1. I have the option to accept or decline the invitation. I am not being "force added"

  2. I now have the opportunity to reply that that is not my correct email address.

  3. Or I am a mole working with Simon and I accept the invitation and never say a word about the erroneous email account.

  I believe clarification will be forthcoming.

  Yes, they have to contact you back through facebook and include ALL the information to give you a chance to verify it.

  At best, it just creates a mass of extra work for them (why do that?), at worse someone forgets to do it right or you add comments about how "you're travelling right now and can get email but not facebook": something called social hacking that weak process can allow to be exploited.

  The danger with 'Clarification' is often it can be just convenient claims. Personally I'd prefer proper process as it is a protection for them as well in that it avoids risking the appearance and potential claims of mistakes or wrong actions being followed.

  "hey, it had to be you because you that is the facebook account you contacted us from". End of issue.

  If a mistake isn't even possible then no one can make any substantial accusations. If your process has obvious holes then its easy to make them.

  Please AAWA. Learn from last 3 weeks. Process is important and you need to get things right.
• 

  jgnat

  <---- process fan.
• 

  Simon

  Cedars, I know you're reading this so I'll respond here given that you've declared our email conversation "over" just because I dared to mention it here.

  First, what would you consider 'questioning someone's motives' to be?

  a) An insult

  or

  b) A compliment

  I went with a). I was trying to be helpful. I really didn't have to answer any of your long emails or point out the stupid ideas you had for your facebook-fiasco-response. I was trying to help and am still trying to help but I think that is a mistake because you really don't deserve it.

  You still have the same attitude, you still seemed determined to storm-off first and ask questions later and you still seem totall incapable of listening and responding in a rational way.

  Now, can I question your motives? Wouldn't that be fair? After all, you don't believe it's insulting ...

  Now, if you are serious about the AAWA and getting things done right then let's have a conversation about it. No one can help you if all you want to do it throw toys at the wall everytime you hear something you don't like.

  If you're only interested starting this whole deny-all-problems cycle again then what choices do you leave people who think there are risks other than to warn others?
• 

  mind blown

  Most people who are using FB, Forums, other sites (fashion, banking, amazon, etc) know they need to verify with an email, be it alias for not. They do this as security making sure a person opening any site account is the same person who's going to use that account. It's also security from phishing which happens with web programs bought by spammers or phishers (looking to hack)......

  For instance. I recive an email from a site I joined asking for added personal info, which either I already ansewered on the site, or not required. But this email sent is a phising email trying to get personal information by fraud. If I hadn't given an email to be sent back to me, I would have no idea someone is trying to hack my account. That is only one of many reason for virfied emails either anony or not.....it serves various protections.....and there is no law stating you cannot use sub or anony email accounts.....
• 

  Tylinbrando

  I see no benefit to anyone if the AAWA topics die down. Members of JWN and AAWA called for a name change. It happened. Members of JWN an AAWA called for a "reboot" of the secret AAWA Facebook Group and it happened.

  Sure it takes a fair amount of effort to trapse through the personal agendas, bones to pick amongst members, and ping pong from lengthy and dogmatic scrutinization of events; but in the end, changes that are beneficial to an ExJW movement amongst an ExJW community have been achieved and hopefully it will continue to be that way.

  Simon said:

  There are reasons for 'best practices' in the collection and management of information and why they should be followed.

  I want to know what your 'best practices' would be to rectify the AAWA registration to Facebook situation given your experience with running a site such as JWN.

  My first inclination would be to suspect you would say, "Ditch Facebook altogether" but as that isn't likely to happen what would you suggest then for registration, verification, vetting and time tested security measures?
• 

  Simon

  It's really what I've outlined already. I'm not going to tell them how to do things if they are not interested in listening.

  Collecting information is a serious matter, especially for a group like the AAWA. They should really try to collect as little as possible and have clear terms around what is collected and how it will be used, who will have access to it etc... The rules are to protect them as much as to protect others.

  Facebook wouldn't be my personal preference but like anything, it's worse if you misuse it.

  I hate to see them opening themselves up for trouble in the future but sadly, it seems they (or Cedars at least) doesn't want to hear anything but "well done".

  I think the apology is hollow. I don't think they are sorry for anything and I think they only eventutally acted because they were forced to. Even then they missed a ton of stuff out.

  Same with the name change, it wasn't because they 'listened' - it was because the name would be so tainted on Google that they couldn't keep on using it.
• 

  Tylinbrando

  Some are willing to listen, but I understand where you are coming from. You would be a valuable asset for AAWA if it could ever be orchestrated.

  I personally did not think there would be a name change or rebooting of Facebook.

  The fact that it happened whether apologies were disingenuous or not has been a very pleasant surprise.

  I hope it is a pattern that will be embraced and repeated when necessary.
• 

  HintOfLime

  I'm not going to tell them how to do things if they are not interested in listening.

  I wouldn't mind a thread discussing best practices for such a non-profit group - in case someone with real leadership qualities wanted to create an organization that was reputable and successful. AAWA aside, what should a professional organization representing a community like this look like?

  Things like:

  • What sort of initial team to create to ensure the project gets off on the right foot (instead of recruiting everybody all at once and then having no policies in place to govern them).
  • Non-Profit Organization Best Practices
  • Professional Expections from Board Members and Volunteers
  • What should the group be trying to acheive? What goals should be set, and how is success measured?
  • What sort of public interactions will there be? Who are the 'customers'? What sort of 'customer' interactions will be involved? How will privacy be ensured? How do we measure our success in helping the people we aim to help?
  • What costs would be involved, should fund-raising be involved? What would raised funds be spent on? What might a yearly budget for this organization look like? What level of transparency best suits the cause?
  • etc.

  The sort of discussion that absolutely should have happened to create a organization founded on helping people if the AAWA's leadership was not driven by egos and anger.

  Not everyone will agree on every point - but perhaps some good could come from the discussion.

  - Lime
• 

  besty

  things find their level - JWN has found its level over a 13 year period

  AAWA will find its level - check back in a year or two - I wish them all the best, but its not my thing.
• 

  Witness My Fury

  AAWA should have sought this level of detail, information and input from this site waaaay before launch. Ego has much to answer for unfortunately.