Warning, JW.ORG on Facebook

[GrumpysWife]

The one on FaceBook - https://www.facebook.com/JW.orgRSS

 

In fact, if you click on "About" it does say - "Not an official Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society project."

That implies that it is recognized by the WBTS though......................NOT

[Brother_Bliss]

It is possible for someone to set up a Facebook page and then have it connected to an RSS feed. As soon as a new jw.org article appears, it shows up as a post on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, or anywhere else. We even did it here for a short while.

 

However, on Facebook it would be connected to an app that is making the post on the pages behalf. Either way, use extreme caution. The owner of the site could have good intentions now, and then can turn to the dark side. We've seen it happen with other forums like this one in the past.

[Buddy]

The even have a disclaimer on one of their sites. In some cases many many followers. Boy oh boy we have to be really careful.

[adeagboolusegun]

Thanks also for the awareness

[seagull]

The only official presence that the society has on the internet is jw.org.  They are not officially using FB, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media/site.  Old URLs like jw-media.org route to jw.org.  I've no idea if they are parking domains (e.g. ones that could be used to represent some of the legal entities) or have started registering any accounts on various social media systems to avoid them being used by anyone else but I've not see any evidence that this is the case.

 

I cannot say if they use any systems/sites for internal purposes but it doesn't matter one way or the other since jw.org is the only official and public channel.

 

So, at them moment, I think it is safe to say that any domain other than jw,org or any social media account is not official and has to be treated like any other presence on the internet and approached with open eyes and a cautious mind. 

[countrykaren]

^{AFTER HAVING MY FACEBOOK HACKED... I HAVE DELETED IT AND NEVER GOING BACK!}

[halfspanishlee]

I also deleted my Facebook as it wasent good for my spiritually so I got rid of it.

[bohemian]

I have never used Facebook, although our children use it to post pictures of themselves and the grandchildren, so the temptation is there.

One granddaughter whom I haven't seen for over 10 years keeps sending me invites to Twitter, but so far I have resisted that too.

I love to write letters, you know the ones? The ones with a fountain pen using ink on paper. It's a dying art.

But I digress........

I avoid Facebook, but thank you for the warning.

[Qapla]

Ever pick up a magazine in the store and wonder, "Hmmm, is this another magazine from the Watchtower?" or have you seen a handbill/ad under your windshield wiper when you came back from a store and thought, "Oh, I guess the Brothers must have been working the parking lot."

 

Most likely, NO!

 

We all know that our magazines are NOT sold in stores and, hopefully, we do NOT put them under windshield wipers of parked cars - the same way - we all know that jw.org is the official website - there are NO other sites that are official any more than another magazine that is official.

[Brother_Bliss]

One would think, with all the emphasis on our official JW.org site, that seeing a social networking page claiming to be official and having the smarts enough to know better would be a no brainer for all our brothers and sisters.

 

It really goes to show how much of a grasp on people sites like Facebook have. There are some who never go anywhere else on the internet. They live as if Facebook WAS the internet.

[witness]

Thanks for this warning sister

[pnutts]

I sorta have a facebook account- used to access newspaper + other articles. Don't count on learning anything about me though.

[cricket246]

I use facebook but only have friended those I know in REAL life (99% being fellow witnesses in my own vicinity)

 

The web can be beneficial or hazardous - Facebook and any other site is just like t.v. - you got know when to change the channel so to speak.

Edited December 7, 2013 by cricket246

[JudyO]

I "joined" a group on FB---yes, I admit it! The few comments that I saw were really upbuilding. Then, they "allowed" someone to join who was not a witness. You could tell by his initial post--a seemingly-innocent comment about Brother Russell. After a few real brothers and sisters tried to steer him back to what is important, it was easy to see he was not interested in hearing anything other than his own voice. I blocked that group--had to!

 

I feel so free on this site....I know that 99.9% of you love Jehovah and his organization as I do---and it is so refreshing! Joining this forum site is one of the better decisions I have ever made.

 

 

Thanks to all of you.

[Sheep]

Like a lot of you, I avoid Facebook... for the most part.

 

Several years ago, I received an email from my cousin, sent to me through Facebook, inviting me to be her "friend." I thought that was strange. She didn't invite me to be her "cousin," she only invited me as a "friend." Well, I didn't have a Facebook page in those days, so I couldn't even look at her page. She's not in the truth, but I was curious about this "face book" thing and what she had on her page. So I created a Facebook account, just to see what it was about, and what one might be able to do with it. I tried it out for about 20 minutes, long enough to see my cousin's page, saw no use to it, and deleted it.

 

Later though, I saw everyone was going Facebook! And if I wanted to see something on their Facebook page, I had to have an account. So I created one again, which I still have. Don't try to find it though, you won't be able to. It's not in my real name, there is virtually nothing on it, and I have all the privacy settings up as high as they go! The only reason for the existence of that page is so I can see other Facebook pages.

 

End of story.

[sis little]

Sis Chris thanks for the info but other than the public fb and the one that Dismal Bliss hosts what other one is there, just to make sure that I do not go into it if I stumble up on it.

[Brother_Bliss]

I "joined" a group on FB---yes, I admit it! The few comments that I saw were really upbuilding. Then, they "allowed" someone to join who was not a witness. You could tell by his initial post--a seemingly-innocent comment about Brother Russell. After a few real brothers and sisters tried to steer him back to what is important, it was easy to see he was not interested in hearing anything other than his own voice. I blocked that group--had to!

 

I feel so free on this site....I know that 99.9% of you love Jehovah and his organization as I do---and it is so refreshing! Joining this forum site is one of the better decisions I have ever made.

 

Thanks to all of you.

 

 

Sis Chris thanks for the info but other than the public fb and the one that Dismal Bliss hosts what other one is there, just to make sure that I do not go into it if I stumble up on it.

 

 

Nothing on the internet is 100% safe. Even us here at JWTalk have the occasional baddie that gets past our registration hurdles. We catch a good portion of them after the fact, but no doubt there are lurkers here making an occasional comment now and again. 

 

But we appreciate all your help in keeping things as neat and tidy as a rather publicly exposed JW forum can be, reporting posts and private messages when they raise an eyebrow. We really do think of our forum here as a team effort, a community moderated environment. The moderator team thanks all of you.

[Allabord4Jah]

Wow, thank you guys for such an appropriate warning!  Lot of disguises out there, first were warned about the media stories (true or false) and now we have copy right thieves using the official website for our beautiful JW.ORG site!   Am sure the legal department at Bethel is right up on it!   I don't do Facebook or Twitter.  Several other friends have wanted me to join in, but I like the old fashion slow email system.   Facebook and Twitter scare me.  There's enough scary things out there now, don't need this kind of scare!  Thanks for warning me!

[neil]

I agree with Dismal_Blis. In fact to me social media sites are covered in 1 Cor 15:33. They ARE bad associations. 

May be good intentions now. But no guarantees for the future.

neil

[Shawnster]

If you are worried about getting confused by any of these sites, just think about it like this.  The Faithful Slave will never use anything ran by a Worldly person or organization as a means of communication.  We have a Website (JW.org) with a media release section.  Therefore, the Society or Organization will never use Facebook, Twitter or YouTube to dispense any information to the public.  Never.

 

Why would Time magazine bother to print anything in Popular Mechanics?  Kinda the same idea.

 

Some people get confused.  They see something says "JW.org" and they think they're safe.  These ones don't understand the difference between a Website and a Facebook profile.  That's OK, we can kindly readjust these confused individuals.

[LeslieDean]

You brothers are like a much needed chiropractic doctor for me!

[cricket246]

It's interesting if u look up Facebook it's classified as a social "forum" lol

I was once on a site like this a long while back but apostates hacked the site and took it over so the sister had to leave her own site. And I guess she decided not to try another.

Jehovah tells us we have to be careful with anything in this day and time. There are a lot of good posts and reminders here

Association is something we do have to guard and that's anything online music tv

[sis little]

Dismal Bliss I know and that is why I feel safe here has been in others and yes u can definitely tell natural warm witnesses that appreciate our stand and those who don't, in my statement I guess I was just shocked that it was happening to the fb that you were sponsoring, I have too remember that we are still in an imperfect world and any and everything is possible.

 

So please there was nothing bad on your part by me not at all.  True we are family and we work hard too keep it as such.

[Brother_Bliss]

I was just shocked that it was happening to the fb that you were sponsoring

 

You may see me participating on some "JW" FB groups from time to time, but I don't sponsor any of them.

[sunshine]

What can someone POSSIBLY get from creating a Mirror site? Do they get money for hits and if they get a million witnesses to mistakenly logon they get a bonus...

 

why do these people (and I say this because I don't believe any faithful witness will produce a site Under the society name and logo) get out of it, that's the mystery to me...