Beroean Pickets – JW.org Reviewer is the first in a series of new web sites that we will be launching over the next few weeks. When this launch is completed, we will be keeping meletivivlon.com as an archive site.
Why are you replacing meletivivlon.com?
I chose the alias, Meleti Vivlon (Greek for Bible Study) to avoid persecution. The domain name seemed like a logical choice when the sole purpose of the site was Bible research. I never envisioned it becoming what it is now—a gathering place where brothers and sisters awakening to the reality of JW.org can find refreshment and fellowship. So having a self-named site now seems inappropriate since it focuses undue attention on an individual.
What will become of the old site?
It will remain online as a reference archive. All the articles and comments will continue to be available.
Why not just rename the old site?
Search engines have for years been referencing meletivivlon.com. Changing the domain name requires us to rename all the internal links, which would break all the search engine links which guide people to our site. This is too valuable a resource to abandon.
Why are you replacing it with multiple sites?
We have identified different needs and wish to address them. This first site will serve those JWs who are beginning to question the actions and/or teachings of the Organization. Its purpose is to analyze the publications and broadcasts which are used every week to instruct Jehovah’s Witnesses on the teachings of the Governing Body. Since JWs are trained not to analyze these teachings with a critical eye, this new site will provide them with the tools and experience we’ve gained over the past few years so that they can see for themselves what the Bible actually teaches.
The next sites will provide for different needs.
Will I still be able to comment?
Absolutely. However, we now require anyone who comments to register. You can still use an alias to register and we recommend creating an aliased e-mail to protect your identity. (gmail.com is great for this.) One reason for this change is to avoid confusion as to whom we are talking to. With so many “anonymous” comments, it can be confusing. Another reason is that we are going to be approving all comments. Prior to this, only your first comment was approved, and after that you could comment freely. For 99% of all commenters this was fine. However, at times there have been those who have misused this feature and caused discord. Once a comment is posted, it is sent out to all subscribers by e-mail. We can’t unring that bell.
What about censorship? Are we becoming like JW.org?
We will not quash the free expression of ideas. However, we do wish to maintain an atmosphere that extends freedom to all. If the words of a commenter might be restricting the freedom of others, we will e-mail him or her to explain what needs to be changed for the comment to be approved. This is why we need a valid e-mail address, otherwise we can only block the comment without explanation and we do not wish to do that.
Will I need to register on every site to be notified of new articles?
Yes, but it is an easy process. Just click on the About menu and select Subscribe, or click here to do it now. Since each site is separate, you’ll have to repeat the process if you want to be notified about newly published articles from each new site. The advantage is that you can pick which sites to follow. For example, non-JW readers may not be interested in what is published on this site.
What are recurring donations?
Some have asked for this feature. It makes it easier to make a regular monthly donation. You can specify a fixed amount and then check the “recurring donations” box and that amount will be automatically contributed every month. You can cancel the donation at any time. (Currently, the Recurring Donations box is checked by default. The WordPress plugin we are using is set that way, and I don’t know enough CSS code to make the default “unchecked”. I hope to fix that soon.)
Why do you accept donations at all?
Because it is appropriate. The temple did not need the Widow’s paltry few coins. Yet by giving them, she found more glory than all the wealthy Pharisees put together. (Mr 12:41-44) We will not solicit funds, but we also will not deny anyone the right to participate in this work.
How do you use the donations?
Up to this point, we’ve only had enough to support the costs of running the sites. That is all we need. However, if we should ever have an excess, we will look at ways to expand our sites into other languages and to publicize the message through social media or whatever avenue the Lord might open to us.