What's new

BBC News article on Scientology and the Internet

Student of Trinity

Silver Meritorious Patron
The BBC news website has a prominent story about Scientology and the internet. It's superficially neutral in tone. The only really negative things it says are carefully hedged, and it presents statements from the Church as well as from critics; but it shows just how devastating you can be while still sounding neutral.

Critics are cited in strictly neutral terms — they merely 'say' or 'recall' things — while the statements from the Church get just a tiny bit more slant in how they're quoted: Pouw 'admits' or 'plays down', instead of just saying stuff. Critics are identified in ways that make them sound authoritative — a 'former high-ranking Scientologist' or an academic with a university affiliation — while Pouw is just a spokesperson for the Church. There are no gruesome allegations made against the Church, although declining membership is mentioned in carefully hedged terms, but the only positive thing mentioned about the Church is a popular YouTube channel, and even this is presented as an unattributed quote, rather than being reported by the BBC itself, while the article author comments that the big day of YouTube traffic was right after an expensive Superbowl ad. And the photos are unobjectionable but effective: photos of Hubbard and Cruise are decent but distinctly unflattering, while pictures of Anons make them look kind of cool.

Above all, the article sticks quite close to the basic theme of its title, that the Church of Scientology has done a lot to try to control its depiction on the internet. That in itself is pretty damning, today. The message it sends, to the zillions who read the BBC, is simple and clear: if you happen to be at all curious about Scientology, don't trust what the Church says about itself.

For everyone to understand that may not be everything that Scientology's critics could ask for, but if they had to settle for that, I think it would be enough.
 

AnonyMary

Formerly Fooled - Finally Free
From the Karen#1 video thread:

Karin, I had a neighbor come by, the couple that lived at the bottom of the cul-de-sac. She clutched a flyer that said I was despicable in every way, being all sorts of inconcievable things, all at the same time, which is of course impossible. I invited them in, the couple sat on my couch, and I proceeded to explain the entire situation. About an hour and half later, the wife says "Your living room is lovely, who did the workl?" I proudly said that i did it myself. She then asked, "Would you do this to ours?" I worked for them for a year....and I needed that money at the time.Thank you "RON". Thank you OSA!

New article out today... mentions the raids on homes like yours.

16 July 2013 Last updated at 20:09 ET

How Scientology changed the internet
By Dave Lee Technology reporter, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23273109

We probably need a Stallion thread to counter balance the Donkey thread, lol.

We are winning and have been winning because "the internet is the liberty tree"...

A must read, indeed!
 

Teanntás

Silver Meritorious Patron
The BBC news website has a prominent story about Scientology and the internet. It's superficially neutral in tone. The only really negative things it says are carefully hedged, and it presents statements from the Church as well as from critics; but it shows just how devastating you can be while still sounding neutral.

Critics are cited in strictly neutral terms — they merely 'say' or 'recall' things — while the statements from the Church get just a tiny bit more slant in how they're quoted: Pouw 'admits' or 'plays down', instead of just saying stuff. Critics are identified in ways that make them sound authoritative — a 'former high-ranking Scientologist' or an academic with a university affiliation — while Pouw is just a spokesperson for the Church. There are no gruesome allegations made against the Church, although declining membership is mentioned in carefully hedged terms, but the only positive thing mentioned about the Church is a popular YouTube channel, and even this is presented as an unattributed quote, rather than being reported by the BBC itself, while the article author comments that the big day of YouTube traffic was right after an expensive Superbowl ad. And the photos are unobjectionable but effective: photos of Hubbard and Cruise are decent but distinctly unflattering, while pictures of Anons make them look kind of cool.

Above all, the article sticks quite close to the basic theme of its title, that the Church of Scientology has done a lot to try to control its depiction on the internet. That in itself is pretty damning, today. The message it sends, to the zillions who read the BBC, is simple and clear: if you happen to be at all curious about Scientology, don't trust what the Church says about itself.

For everyone to understand that may not be everything that Scientology's critics could ask for, but if they had to settle for that, I think it would be enough.

Just 3 months ago scientology.org was ranked 66,564th most popular global site by alexa.com. Today it is down to 142,538th. Tonyortega.org is ahead of it at 113,866th place up from 208,808th 3 months ago. Our humble forum exscn.net is down some at 176,552 place but not too far behind scientology.org
 

NoName

A Girl Has No Name
Just 3 months ago scientology.org was ranked 66,564th most popular global site by alexa.com. Today it is down to 142,538th. Tonyortega.org is ahead of it at 113,866th place up from 208,808th 3 months ago. Our humble forum exscn.net is down some at 176,552 place but not too far behind scientology.org

And one has to wonder how many of the hits to scientology.org are from the LOIC. Jus sayin'
 

Gadfly

Crusader
From the article:

"Founder L Ron Hubbard told them how to do everything in life," reflects Dr Poulter from Wikipedia.

But he didn't leave any instructions on how to handle the internet."


Mmm? How could such an OT being as Hubbard fail to KNOW about the Internet? Wasn't it just like computers, of which Ron claimed to KNOW all about due to "whole track recall"? :duh:

Thank the Lord for the Internet! It will be the main reason why Scientology collapses and fails.

Scientology can ONLY exist and survive in an environment of severe information manipulation and control. THAT is currently impossible with the Internet.

Note: The Scio-bozos actually do apply various "LRH data" regarding the Internet. They treat it like any other
critic" or "enemy". They lie, fabricate phony scenarios to entrap people, manipulate perceptions, deceive, attempt to unbalance the playing field in their favor (using ANY tactic available), and generally do what they always do to "fair game" anybody they don't like. The history of Scientology's attempts to "handle the Internet" is simply a record of dumb attempts to crush free, honest and unbiased speech.
 
Last edited:

TG1

Angelic Poster
Very interesting article in BBC News. Thanks for the analysis too, SoT. Excellent as always.

This article makes me appreciate anew how effective Karen de la Carriere's videos are -- in this case, the videos she made with Geir Isene when Geir was in L.A. earlier this summer and posted online. That's how publicity in the age of social media works -- social media hits lead to other hits, which lead to other hits until "the majors" pick up the story.

It also explains why the Church is harassing Karen so hard again, sending private investigators into her neighborhood and attempting to interview Karen's neighbors.

Karen, you're doing a great public service. Keep doing what you're doing.

TG1
 

Freeminds

Bitter defrocked apostate
Sweet. You have to wonder what prompted the story on the Scientology UFO cult at this time. There isn't anything particularly interesting happening within the Scientology camp.

Maybe the BBC is simply seeking to reflect the interests of the public. (It's that kind of corporation, after all...) Needless to say, it is in the interest of the British public to see the scams of L Ron Hubbard and his twisted acolytes exposed, and closed down. Also, they pulled it in when they went after John Sweeney. Stupid Hubbard apologists: reap the whirlwind, and experience your cult's spiral into non-being.

I am happy, tonight.


Scientology UFO cult
 

kate8024

-deleted-
if you happen to be at all curious about Scientology, don't trust what the Church says about itself.

I couldn't agree with that more. I've had a few people IRL ask me about Scientology and I always tell them to read Dr. Urban's or Janet Reitman's book before reading anything L. Ron Hubbard or the church wrote.
 

In present time

Gold Meritorious Patron
wait just a minute! i just saw a video today on a thread titled; " video;raid on arnie lerma august 1995" proving that the CO$ stamped out that internet thing, way back then.
i have no idea what these bbc merchants of chaos are talking about.
 

Teanntás

Silver Meritorious Patron
Just 3 months ago scientology.org was ranked 66,564th most popular global site by alexa.com. Today it is down to 142,538th. Tonyortega.org is ahead of it at 113,866th place up from 208,808th 3 months ago. Our humble forum exscn.net is down some at 176,552 place but not too far behind scientology.org

In 1 day Tony's site has moved up 5856 places and is headed for the top 100,000 global sites

109,010 Global Rank and Traffic Rank in US: 19,120

Our humble forum exscn.net has moved up 4652 places to 171,900

Keep up the good work !
 

Teanntás

Silver Meritorious Patron
In 1 day Tony's site has moved up 5856 places and is headed for the top 100,000 global sites

109,010 Global Rank and Traffic Rank in US: 19,120

Our humble forum exscn.net has moved up 4652 places to 171,900

Keep up the good work !

tonyortega.org keeps on moving

Alexa Traffic Rank: Global 95,999 Traffic Rank in US: 15,786

scientology.org

Alexa Traffic Rank: Global 127,912   Traffic Rank in US: 36,603

exscn.net moving too

Global 167,077 Traffic Rank in US: 58,842

It's a great time for espees :biggrin:
 
tonyortega.org keeps on moving

Alexa Traffic Rank: Global 95,999 Traffic Rank in US: 15,786

scientology.org

Alexa Traffic Rank: Global 127,912 Traffic Rank in US: 36,603

exscn.net moving too

Global 167,077 Traffic Rank in US: 58,842

It's a great time for espees :biggrin:

I'LL lay odds, what traffic the CULT gets is mostly folks just wanting to see how creepy they really are
 

Sassy

Patron Meritorious
In 1 day Tony's site has moved up 5856 places and is headed for the top 100,000 global sites

109,010 Global Rank and Traffic Rank in US: 19,120

Our humble forum exscn.net has moved up 4652 places to 171,900

Keep up the good work !

Do you know if clicking to Tony's site off his Twitter posts gives him a "tickmark" for traffic? I usually just go to his site from Twitter. If it doesn't count, then I'll go to his site the "standard" way so that ticker keeps moving up!
 

Teanntás

Silver Meritorious Patron
Do you know if clicking to Tony's site off his Twitter posts gives him a "tickmark" for traffic? I usually just go to his site from Twitter. If it doesn't count, then I'll go to his site the "standard" way so that ticker keeps moving up!

I would imagine that it does count.

Just checked - his site is still on the move

Alexa Traffic Rank: Global 90,786 Traffic Rank in US: 14,918

exscn.net also continues to climb

Alexa Traffic Rank Global 159,677 Traffic Rank in US: 50,911
 
Top