by thedepressedsoul 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
After reading this thread I am wondering if the big push to get everyone's addresses and phone numbers "in case of natural disaster" was another method of collecting data?
Its been awhile since I have been part of the organizational structure but I remember at one point them giving us a form to fill out containing name, address, phone number and a person to contact in the event of a disaster.
tiki asks "But why? For what reason are they maintaining such a massive database?"
We can reverse this scenario and ask, " For what reason would the publishers want a massive data base on the elders, traveling overseer's and the Governing Body?"
We should also ask what kind of information should be in the data base and which the publishers would have easy access to?
First, the kind of information.
- Mental capacity/health/defects/handicaps
- Physical capacity/health/handicaps
- Education - all aspects including grade school, college, courses, university etc.
- Work experience - type of work, position, performance,
- Criminal records
- Marital relationship[s] - number and gender of children / age / standing in congregation [ wife's also]
- Record of time spent in field ministry since baptism
- Number of bible studies conducted [ past and present]
- Names, locations and dates of all congregations attended since baptism
- Positions held in congregation [dates and locations]
- Records of disciplinary action taken by the congregation
- Basically an exhaustive resume of someone to whom you will entrust your care and the care of your family.
Now what would be the list of reasons for every publisher to have easy access to all of this information?
THEDEPRESSEDSOUL:
It does sound terrifying.
How does anybody here know that they don’t at the very least have a name and address - even if they never signed such a form? Even if you’ve been out many years how do you know they got rid of that info?
I always used to laugh at JWs who said years ago that they demanded the religion delete their name and address from the rolls. How could anybody have a guarantee that this was ever done? From what I see the religion doesn’t want to comply with court requests for a certain database- so why would they heed John Q publisher’s request to be deleted?
Socrateswannabe, it seems as though the files would also contain any judicial matters that have ever happened with a publisher. Yes?
I've heard on this forum that there are those who because of their elder husbands carelessness, looked at the congregation files. I could see this happening someday, if someones PIMO wife or teen, hacked into the database via his elder husband/father's access, sending every JW he knows, a link to JWfacts (for example) or worse, changing the data base to show anyone he chooses, as disfellowshipped.
This cant be local. it has to be a big oush to lock down everyone. No more moving and fading in their eyes
Stillin, the congregation responsible for the DFing action retains the committee's notes indefinitely. The congregation sends a highly condensed version of their notes to the Branch (they fill out a WTS form), which, I'm assuming, is also kept by them indefinitely. No information is sent to the Branch when a person is reproved, even if it involves an announcement.
A couple more questions:
Was your walk-through of this program in the USA? As far as I know, the US branch does not have that much info on r&f publishers at the congregation level.
If not: Do you know of plans to roll this out in the USA? If so, when?
Did this program have any sensitive data that might compromise people in real life? It's one thing for Vlad the hacker to find out how many hours a JW had in field service in October 2014, and it's another matter entirely if he can look up a street address, a phone number, names & ages of children, etc.
[QUOTE] Was your walk-through of this program in the USA?
Yes, I too am curious to know where (what country or at least continent) this occurred.
Perhaps worth pointing out that this didn’t happen, as far as I know
