Posts by besty

263

Poster country flags and privacy

by Simon in

the new forum originally had a little country flag next to each post showing the country that the post was made from based on the geoip encoding (the country the ip address is from).

before i switched over to the new site someone made an issue about it violating their privacy and i didn't want to complicate and confuse the switchover with policy debate at the same time as technical issues so removed the flags even though i disagreed.. someone has already requested it as a feature and i think it should be added back so i thought it's now time to open the discussion and get everyone's opinions.

first, the reason i think it should be shown:.

besty

Ann - you are simply adding a further dimension to the list of variables.

My right to clean air in our shared office trumps your right to smoke cigarettes.

The global right to reasonable information about a poster trumps the corner case rights of a handful of posters who:

are from a small country AND
are concerned about their identity becoming known AND
have already posted enough identifying information where simply adding their country makes it impossible to be anyone else AND
they have attracted the attention of a snooper who is bothered enough to research all their posts AND
that snooper decides to confront them with his findings AND
that person can't sidestep the resulting issue etc...

Heck Ann - you are using the same avatar on at least 5 different websites - if I could be arsed I bet I could track you down just from your avatar....

6

Eye-Opening Survey!

by The Searcher in

my wife said to me me that she'd really like to see a survey carried out on the internet, where active/attending witnesses only, could anonymously reveal that they privately celebrate the memorial and partake of the emblems.. what sort of figures would such a survey throw up?.

any chance of someone organising such a survey during the "memorial season"?.

besty

anonymous internet surveys aren't worth the paper they are printed on, except for making the organiser feel relevant.

better for those who feel the urge to start partaking as a JW or join a religion that more accurately reflects their beliefs

263

Poster country flags and privacy

by Simon in

the new forum originally had a little country flag next to each post showing the country that the post was made from based on the geoip encoding (the country the ip address is from).

before i switched over to the new site someone made an issue about it violating their privacy and i didn't want to complicate and confuse the switchover with policy debate at the same time as technical issues so removed the flags even though i disagreed.. someone has already requested it as a feature and i think it should be added back so i thought it's now time to open the discussion and get everyone's opinions.

first, the reason i think it should be shown:.

besty

I like the wee flags.

Simon has enough experience of running the forum securely for us to trust him to make a call on the greater good for the majority, even if a vocal minority disagree. (A poll or vote will naturally be skewed towards those who care enough to register their disapproval - the vast majority don't care - at a glance there are about 5 people on this thread with a strong negative opinion, out of how many thousand members?)

The corner case described of Bjork the Inept Icelandic hairdresser requires Bjork to be as clueless with regard to the public internet as she is with regard to running a hair salon. Her foolishness should not disadvantage the majority of more clueful forum users, who recognizing they live in a small country are more circumspect with posting significant personally identifiable information. In fact I would argue that having a country flag would help Bjork give a silent anti-witness to other Icelanders also lurking on the forum.

As to posting while travelling, if its a concern just zip your paranoid thoughts up until you get back to a secure location.

29

A possible way for the Watch Tower to generate revenue via their website.

by adjusted knowledge in

jw
friends

earlier in the week someone posted the potential value of the jw website based on visits and if they used advertisements.

many stated they would never do that but i propose they could.. besides their real estate profit making business model, they have the conventions as cash generating machines.

they give directions to their members to which hotels/motels to use.

besty

blood, shunning and child abuse - anything else is just jerking your leash with the details.

44

Men are not looking forward to becoming Elders or Ministerial Servants

by Hidden-Window in

jw
friends

i have noticed an apparently increasing number of men who are not interested in becoming ministerial servants or elders.

i also know of some that have voluntarily stepped down (which is my case) for no obvious solid reason.. i remember, during my teenage years or even during my twenties, the brothers were always looking forward to being appointed... although many still do, i have noticed there are many others with whom you do not know what the deal is.. since there is no freedom of speech within the organization, we remain in the dark about the motives and desires of everybody else.

i attend a congregation with only two ministerial servants, while it is full of men who do not seem to be willing to do more.. it is hard to tell exactly what is going on, since honesty is not possible while you are inside, but i am starting to think that more and more are becoming disillusioned.... .

besty

He told me " to be brutally frank , I've seen the effect that being an appointed man has had on my uncle & father and I don't ever want to have to go through that. " I suspect there are quite a few JWs like that , though many might not be quite as honest in expressing it.

almost word for word what I told an elder asking me to "reach out" about 3 years before I quit altogether.

75

New forum 'parousia' is upon us! (software version)

by Simon in

the time has nearly come to switch over to the new forum software.

of course it's not completely finished yet (and never will be) but i think it's good enough to go live with and probably already better than the current one.

i'll give you a quick overview of what to expect and post more detail about the changeover process later.. cloud platform.

besty

nah : it was more the coming with clouds that tickled me :-)

great job Simon - looking forward to seeing the new version

and stops me whinging about a Like button ;-)

75

New forum 'parousia' is upon us! (software version)

by Simon in

the time has nearly come to switch over to the new forum software.

of course it's not completely finished yet (and never will be) but i think it's good enough to go live with and probably already better than the current one.

i'll give you a quick overview of what to expect and post more detail about the changeover process later.. cloud platform.

besty

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

24

When will the JW's start reversing?

by runForever in

jw
friends

i think this sucker could start reversing membership within a few months..

besty

The point is not whether their numbers reverse or not. Although they have masked underlying decline with growth from the less informed.

The point is how relevant their message is, and it is obvious they are thrashing about like a drowning man gasping for the oxygen of relevance. Websites, TV channels, apps, hanging around with carts near public transport hubs....really?

Organised religion is dying in the West - it has been superceded by a better paradigm for those who choose to educate themselves. For as long as government entertains their charitable pretense and as long as the populace value freedom of religion, then they will continue to limp along. In the meantime they are caught between being an irrelevant cult niche and an irrelevant mainstream niche.

93