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JWTalk Community Guidelines on AI Use Our JWTalk Community thrives on authentic human connections, personal experiences, heartfelt reflections, and the genuine “interchange of encouragement” between us (Romans 1:11–12). To preserve the sincerity, depth, and unique perspectives that make our community special, we ask that all posts, replies, and comments be genuine, original, and personally written by the member. Why We Discourage AI-Generated Content Artificial intelligence tools (such as ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, Claude, or similar AI Systems) may seem helpful, but content produced or heavily influenced by AI often lacks the personal touch, emotional authenticity, and individual voice that our members value. The many AI programs are not Kingdom publishers and therefore have not been invited members to this forum. We only accept human members who are practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses. We also recognize that the internet contains vast amounts of misinformation. Since AI tools draw from this pool, their results can be inaccurate. The old saying, “Well, I read it on the internet, so it must be true,” applies just as much to AI. Misuse Concerns Usurping spiritual responsibilities: Some members have used AI to produce biblical based brochures, videos, or outlines for distribution. This steps into responsibilities that Jehovah and Jesus have entrusted to the Faithful and Discreet Slave (Matthew 24:45–47). Replacing personal study: Others have used AI to summarize or answer study material, such as the weekly Watchtower Study. The Our Kingdom Ministry (November 1999) reminds us: “Using another person’s research for a talk or [as a substitute for] meeting preparation really defeats the purpose of personal study.” The same applies if AI becomes that “other person.” Relying on AI in these ways can leave us spiritually weaker, hungry, but not satisfied - similar to spiritual fast food. (Proverbs 26:15; Isaiah 65:13). Overall Goal It is not our goal to squash creativity or excitement about what these tools can do. That’s why we provide dedicated topics where members can showcase AI-generated images, art, or documents. But at its heart, JWTalk is a human discussion forum. Our expectation is that most posts and replies reflect your thoughts, your feelings, and your experiences. We love you and care deeply about what you think. What matters here are real voices, not artificial ones. By our keeping AI use very limited in the main discussion forums, we can preserve what makes these conversations special. YOU. Expectations All Topics, Posts, and Replies should reflect your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences, written from the heart. Minor use of tools for spelling, grammar, or basic formatting is acceptable, but the core ideas, wording, and expression must be your own. We encourage members to share personally and engage thoughtfully with others. This is the true meaning of an “interchange of encouragement.” Exceptions AI-generated images, art, music, or video should be posted in the dedicated AI Images and Art topic. AI-generated text, articles, PDFs, or other documents should be posted in the dedicated AI Text and Documents topic. It is acceptable to make a small reference to AI in a reply to another topic, as long as the AI portion is clearly marked, is on-topic, and does not outweigh your personal commentary. Final Note By participating in our forum, you agree to uphold these standards of authenticity. Repeated submission of AI-generated or AI-assisted content in the discussion forums, may result in post removal, warnings, or further moderation at the discretion of the moderators. Thank you for helping us maintain a warm, human-centered community where real voices of Jehovah’s children matter most.

A large part of the way that the JWTalk Community is organized is by using a built in feature of the software called Member Groups. Various reading and posting permissions can be edited on a member by member basis, or they can be done by a much easier means by using Member Groups. The groups are given certain permissions and restrictions, and then members are assigned to that group. The use of Member Groups is one of the ways that helps the Team here on the Jehovah's Witnesses Online Community keep the community clean and safe for our brothers and sisters around the world. We get asked from time to time what these group names mean. You might see them under a members avatar when viewing a post on a PC, or on their profile if you click through to see it. Some of the Member Groups are highlighted in red or bold type and so are the members of that group when you see them in the list of Online Users. So the following is an explanation of the primary Member Groups we use for the majority of accounts here at JWTalk. Guest - An unregistered person or search engine bot viewing the forum. Most of our visitors are guests. Now, if a guest applies for membership, and that membership gets approved, then they become a Recent New User. Recent New User - A brand new member. They are subject to content moderation. They can only post. Only key members only forums are available to them. Their Inbox can hold 25 messages. After they've introduced themselves and made a few posts, they get automatically upgraded to a Level 1 of 2 Limited Access User. Limited Access Users - These members are still subject to content moderation. They can use signatures and can upload a cover photo on their profile. They can also now post status updates and create photo albums in the Photo Gallery. They are able to read and participate in the Zoom forum. Their Inbox can hold 50 to 100 messages. As most Limited Access Users are still relatively newer to the Community, we still need some time to get to know them. After some time has passed and they have made several meaningful contributions to the board, the Team will begin discussing if it's time to give them a Full Access account. Full Access Users - These members are not subject to content moderation and we are trusting them to behave. They can create Clubs. They can manage file versions and also submit URL's in the Files Library. They can read and participate in Comfort & Support forum and the Forum Games forum. Their Inbox can hold 250 messages and they can upload attachments in private messages. Those groups make up the bulk of memberships here at JWTalk. We also have groups called "Inactive Account", "Application Denied", and "Incomplete Registration" that are used solely for management purposes. This brings us to the Team which is made up of 3 groups in addition to the administrator. Team members appear in bold type in the Who's Online block. Community Assistant - These are selected elders who help keep an eye on the community and who help address sensitive issues in Confidential Talk. They help alert the rest of the Team to issues and concerns they might see. However they don't have Moderator functions available to them. Community Moderator - Moderators can Approve posts waiting in the queue, as well as Edit, Hide, Split, and Move them around. They can see all Clubs without joining. They participate in certain Team activities. Their Inbox can hold 500 messages. Community Manager - These members are Moderators who take care of extra duties behind the scenes. Managers can add or remove Moderators as needed. They are the ones who make decisions on adding new features, hosting, spending donated funds, etc. They respond to messages sent through Contact Us form submissions or to the Support email, and address feedback from appointed men in the congregation. Their Inbox can also hold 500 messages. Finally, we have groups for inactive members or members facing disciplinary action. There are very few of these, but we define them using Member Groups for very important reasons. They include the following. Former Member - A deactivated account of a person who wants it to be clear to the members and any visiting guests that they have voluntarily left the community. They can no longer read or interact with anyone. Former Members can reactivate their account in the future if they change their mind. Restricted User - A member who caused problems and would not abide by the Community Membership Policy even after repeated admonition. They are restricted from posting anywhere or interacting with anyone, therefore they cannot give Reactions, post Status Updates, or use the Private Messenger. They can still read some of the Member forums but not the Clubs, Comfort & Support, or the Zoom forum. Basically, a soft-ban and indefinite time-out. BANNED USER - Accounts with this label we are convinced are apostates or opposers. We consider them dangerous. They cannot see or do anything at all within the community, and we strongly discourage you from interacting with them outside our community. We appreciate all members who help keep their eyes on what goes on in the Community and who either use the Report button or the Confidential Talk forum to bring matters to our attention. In reality, we're community moderated, self moderated discussion forum, and each one of you play a valuable part in keeping JWTalk the safest online gathering place for Jehovah's Witnesses since 2006!