Do Elders and Bethelites really follow this site?

Just a question really and whilst I would not put it past them I sort of feel it is too 'conspiracy theory' for me.  Are elders and Bethelites officially sanctioned to lurk (or engage) in this or other sites to try to weedle out apostates?  Does anyone have any direct experience of it happening?

It has been claimed several times, I believe without any real proof.  I too think it is just a little on the wacky-conspiracy side to be believed.

Probably there are some amateur lurkers here from Bethel a lot of the time, though -

Yeah it just seemed to me to be little paranoid.  Also I would have thought that there would be a fear that anyone they wanted to do the task would end up poacher turned gamekeeper (or other way around perhaps)

About ten years ago I was at Brooklyn Bethel in the office of a long time Witness and friend of mine who worked there. I asked what he was working on and he said he had been tasked to find himself.

He explained that Watchtower mucky-mucks wanted to know who was behind a certain persona posting information online, and then he told me the subject's moniker. I recognized the pen-name right away; it belonged to my friend. It was an amusing moment. He declared to me that he had already found himself but was not particularly compelled to report the finding.

Marvin Shilmer

It has been claimed several times, I believe without any real proof. 

Does first-hand testimony count?

The poster known as "Amazing" recounted several years ago how, during a deposition involving WT attorneys, he was confronted with printouts of what he had written on this very website. Someone with lots of patience and an adeptness with the site's "Search" feature ought to be able to find those threads.

In my opinion, they probably don't monitor the site regularly, perhaps not even frequently. But if there is some "big news", or something potentially embarrassing or damaging to them that is likely to become widely known, I'm virtually certain this site is one of the first places they would look to see what the "apostate community's reaction" would be.

Wow - looks like they do then.  Marvin, that is really funny. "he had found himself".  I suppose in a way this also shows that someone must have been looking at sites to want him to go and find himself, if that makes any sense.  How very sad.  Amazing that for all the bible's prophecy it never once mentions the internet (or maybe there is some obscure reference by some wacko prophet along the lines of "and the trustworthy snail was gobbled up by the many headed hedgehog.  And lo! the hedgehog began to feast upon the vomit of the unbelievers".  I am sure it will be in there somehwere)

Someone already "out" like Barabara Anderson or Randy Watters, there's not much they can do.

But if someone anonymous is posting information that is sensitive or clearly not released for public consumption, it gets their attention.  Anyone who can hurt them, they'll keep an eye on.  The vast majority of us though are no real threat so we're not on the radar.  Which is short sighted.

What they don't seem to care about is that while most of us don't have the connections or channel to info that can embarrass them or whatever, our combined strength continues to grow and grow.  More and more people awaken to the lies of the cult and join boards such as this one.  As more and more active ones start to question, the odds are that there's one of us nearby to assist in their search.

Not that there's much they can do anyway.  That's why they demonize the Internet and scoff at news reports that criticize them.  They try to rule by fear and that control is starting to unravel.

Well, I had not heard that story by Marvin Shilmer...I can see them doing it in isolated cases like that.

However, like Undercover says - probably the more they publicize the internet by poring over it for hidden apostates, the more they just publicize it an hurt themselves.

Well if they do set people they task of monitoring this site, the must choose the most dishonest, truth-hating, men-worshipping Watchtower idolators they can find to do the job, because anyone with an ounce of integrity and love of truth wouldn't last long in the Org. after about a days reading here.

The only people immune to the truth are those who have no regard for it.

Either that or, like the example given above, almost everyone in Bethel is now a double agent, working to bring the Org down from the inside.

Oh, I hope so :)

There were 2 posters, husband and wife, that posted with their real pictures on JWD and also were in pictures posted at the event before 25 Columbia Hts re child molesting that were approached by the elders with his information.  But you have to provide the fodder.

I think they look for a purpose at internet sites. I doubt they're reading every post here or I would've been df'd a long time ago, I suppose.

Yes they do.....

I know of  4 elders and 2 bethelites that post here........

Does the WTBS sanction monitoring of this site.....Of course what billion dollar company wouldn't....

Don't mix up the the seemingly old and daft GB with the powerful legal dept....

Given their convoluted thinking on many matters,

it wouldn't surprise me if they actually went and hired private eyes to monitor the net.

That way they could find out information without having to risk exposing the truth inside their hallowed halls.

Like settling pedophile cases out of court with a gag order attached.

Marvin: That is priceless!

I have no doubt that they follow it and other sites. If they didn't how would they know to try to stop it?  They will spend time and money on anything they deem as damaging.

Yes they do here in Australia.  I know of two elders, one an ex bethel elder now an elder in the burbs and his partner in crime who is now a c/o who actively search this site looking for people like me that they know and want to oust. I discovered this site when I was working with elder #1 and saw this site on his computer. I could name them, pm me if you want details....

Summed up perfectly by JWFreak  Don't mix up the the seemingly old and daft GB with the powerful legal dept

Cheers, Mattieu..

Would be interested to hear from Simon if he has ever been contacted by the WBTS about this site.

They do. They monitor me here. I know that.

Especially after "Discourse 48" scandal with YouTube video when I sent e-mail to them and to the GB.

I cannot tell how I know that, but... one brother (from Bethel) confirmed it.

They have some hypothetical evidences to connect "TITUS" with my real person.

And what they (Branch Committee) do now is "hiding a trap for me" (Psalm 140:5). On this forum.

I would really like to explain it, but I cannot. I am sorry...

Matt- 

I have to wonder if that's just a coverup and the elder is really an apostate...  

if they did I would have been DF long ago.  Just google "Snakes" and "SnakesInTheTower" along with the site address in advanced search.  My real name is here somewhere.  My picture definitely is.

I know that individual elders in the congregations do, but those are not officially sanctioned, but also not discouraged, by the Society.

One poster here had reams of their personal blog posts (not posts from this forum) printed out by our young tech-savvy PO in the course of his private investigation (ie, witch hunt).  There really was nothing in those particular blog posts that should have gotten that person DF.  The PO took the info to the elders (including myself), had already gone to the PO before he came to us (other than his elder/former PO father), and the CO instructed the elders to form a JC, which was to include all of the elders (ie loyalty test).  JC came back to DF.  Individual appealed and lost of course.  It was a witch hunt through and through. I had tried to give the person the heads up, but that horse had already left the barn.

Rule of thumb:  If you dont want people to know, don't post it on the internet, not even in the so called private boards or via email.  It can always be cut and pasted elsewhere and forwarded and/or printed out.

Snakes (Rich )

Hi - should have probably made it clear that this thread was only started for my own interest.  I could see people being really cautious and wondered whether that was justified.  Looks like they are.  Me, I couldn't care less and would find it really amusing to think that someone would want to find out who I was.  Not that it would be difficult given my unimaginative avatar and telling everyone where I live.  I guess I do not have any family or friends to lose though.  As I am not DFd I have often thought of writing a letter to my brothers congregation asking to be DFd just so I can imagine my self righteous brother's face as it gets announced from the stage.  But then I am lazy and there is part of me that thinks that is giving the organistion some sort of credibility that they do not warrant.  Sort of in the same way that I would refuse to bow for royalty or use people's hereditary titles.