This Blog

 

            Our blog attracts a variety of readers ranging from serious researchers to the merely curious. All are welcome. Except sometimes.

            I will delete argumentative comments. I expect comment-trail posts to be polite. If you throw a temper tantrum, I will ban you.This is a history blog focusing on the Watch Tower’s Russell years. Occasionally we discuss something from the Rutherford era. We do not allow controversial comments, unsupported by original documents. Unsupported speculation is not history, and it is unethical to present it as such. If you make a claim without documentation to support it, I will view it as an attempt to foment controversy.

            I am open to articles by those not on the editorial list. They must be exceptionally well researched, footnoted to original sources and well written. If English is not your primary language, we will work with you.

            An original source is a journal or diary, letters, contemporary newspaper or periodical articles, something in the character’s own words, contemporary legal documents. You must use reasonable caution. For instance, periodical articles about Russell often contain fabrications. If I see something in your otherwise well-written article that is misleading, I will return it to you for further research.

            I do not allow fables to pass as solid research. This includes things like the Rutherford ‘bobby pin” story. The photo that supposedly shows him drunk that in fact shows him drinking root beer is another misrepresentation. There are others. Before you’re gullible enough to swallow such things as fact, do some real research.

            We do not indulge in personalities here. No insults. No arguments. I do not allow requests for deeply personal information. You may not ask me – or anyone else – about our age, hair color, or any other irrelevant thing.. You may not ask for specifics of someone’s income, place of residence, or any similar thing. You may presume that individuals on our editorial staff are academically competent. In this setting, details are none of your business. Our research speaks for itself.

            I do not care what your religious or social views are. They’re yours. Keep them to yourself. There are other forums where you may express those.

            Most of the Watchtower publications can be found online. It is rare that we will fulfill a request for a scan or photocopy. There are many newspaper archives. One of these is provided by the Library of Congress. It continues to grow. Search key words and names, but remember that newspapers like to fabricate. Google Books is an excellent resource. [books.google.com] There are other online libraries. Not all books are created equal. Use good judgment.

            Extraneous, off topic comments are unwelcome.

            I do not accept invitations to podcasts, call in shows, radio interviews, or any thing similar.

            Occasionally we get comments from people who need to develop their reading comprehension. There are web pages that will help with that.

            We attract trolls. Google, who owns Blogger, blocks some at the gate. Others show up, but I disallow their comments. We have a reader from Poland that is very unwelcome. [Gdansk, Pomorskie, Poland IP Address: Upc Polska (66.102.9.63)] And we have another whose ISP is traced to Toledo, Washington, United States, IP Address:

Toledo Telephone Co (208.70.50.219). I cannot stop them from reading this blog. But no comment from them will appear here. Do not join this group.