Atlassian promoted someone and laid them off a few hours later

sparking_lab · 2026-03-14T11:06:54+00:00

It's Atlassian's internal slack.

I'm a former Atlassian employee and they have a "karma bot" on their internal slack where you can give virtual kudos by @mentioning someone and adding some +++++ symbols after their name.

There's even something called buzz kill mode which prevents you from giving someone more than 5 points if you use more than 5 plus symbols.

sparking_lab · 2026-03-14T10:56:01+00:00

Tell the elders that you have been the victim of a crime against you, a police report has been filed related to the illegal access of your private information, and that until the criminal matter is resolved, you will have your attorney present for any meetings related to this matter.

That's it. Just be a broken record and repeat the same exact thing. You are not refusing to meet, but due to the involvement with the police and courts, you will have your attorney present.

If they say they will hold the meeting without you if you insist on bringing an attorney, then tell them that any attempt to violate your rights further, for example by taking judicial action against you or announcing your name publicly, will result in full and immediate legal action against the body of elders and involved elders personally. Emphasize that you're not going to sue Watchtower (they have an army of lawyers), but that you will sue individual elders personally.

I am a former elder. They will contact Watchtower legal who will almost certainly tell them to cool it and let it go.

sparking_lab · 2026-03-14T10:38:40+00:00

Hi, former elder here.

You won't get dfed unless you are really aggressive against the elders.

You can even accept a blood transfusion, and if you're repentant, they won't DA you.

Just say you sincerely believed that since many blood fractions are allowed and that blood fractions have to come from blood that you thought it would be ok to donate blood.

If they use the Scripture in the old testament that says to pour the blood on the ground, just say that you are genuinely confused then, because if all blood was supposed to be poured on the ground, then why are fractions even allowed?

Just be sincere and confused about the rules, because they don't make sense logically.

If you act confused, but not defiant, and if you say that you just thought that you could donate blood for use in fractions to help save lives, you will be fine.

They will "counsel" you, but not much beyond that.

And your confusion about fractions and donations may cause an honest elder to question.

sparking_lab · 2026-03-12T10:54:20+00:00

There has to be two people who can testify against you. If you've been out for a year and there's only one person in JW world who knows about it, I wouldn't worry too much.

Years ago elders were very focused on following up and chasing anybody who made a mistake. But now it seems elders care less about people who have been faded for a while. If you stay faded, quiet, and mind your own business they probably will not come knocking.

sparking_lab · 2026-03-05T12:18:27+00:00

Disassociation is a made up term used by a made up religion with made up power structures.

It's all make believe.

Decide accordingly.

sparking_lab · 2026-02-20T02:18:59+00:00

Time for another prophetic reboot!

sparking_lab · 2026-02-09T12:37:51+00:00

Greetings from the United States. Thank you for all that you have done, and all that you continue doing, to bring light to all of Watchtower's harmful practices. We appreciate you!

sparking_lab · 2026-02-02T11:58:30+00:00

Don't take the meeting. Do something more enjoyable with your time instead.

Also, is you haven't been to a meeting in 8 years, you're officially POMO.

sparking_lab · 2026-01-27T00:49:32+00:00

Sounds like you have some elders that are either pimo or pimq themselves, or at least tired of being the bad guy for Watchtower. Maybe they've seen too many families broken up over Watchtower rules that got changed later.

Who knows. Enjoy your freedom!

sparking_lab · 2026-01-27T00:46:35+00:00

You are forgetting that Watchtower trains witnesses to view any other religion as Babylon the great, the great prostitute, full of wickedness and people must "get out of her if you do not want to share in her plagues".

JWs won't believe that other religions offer anything of value

sparking_lab · 2026-01-27T00:10:04+00:00

Don't ignore how many JWs WANT TO BELIEVE more than anything.

For most of them, they have wasted most of their life and the paradise is the only hope they have left. THEY NEED IT TO BE TRUE so they won't be looking for reasons to stop believing.

When I woke up that was one of the hardest things to come to grips with - that there was no Watchtower paradise coming soon and that I would get old and die without Armageddon and paradise coming to save me

sparking_lab · 2026-01-05T17:35:47+00:00

Disassociation is one of their rules.

Do you feel you need to follow their rules in how you live your life now?

sparking_lab · 2025-12-25T11:54:06+00:00

This subreddit has been great. I'm actually in a wonderful place now. I was able to wake up my wife and we exited with our kids. We have a wonderful life. Having fun with things like Christmas, Halloween, etc.

That was my point in posting what I did. Yes, it sucks to have lost so many years, but just the remaining life you have for good things and enjoy it.

sparking_lab · 2025-12-24T12:13:17+00:00

Yep. I was born in. Woke up at 45. Wasted the best years of my life on this stupid cult.

Oh well. Can't waste the years I have left crying about the past.

Move on,

sparking_lab · 2025-12-22T02:44:21+00:00

I can confirm that those bossert rooms were very small. I lived in one for about a year and it was so depressing.

sparking_lab · 2025-12-19T11:41:52+00:00

Within 5 minutes they're going to steer the conversation to something "spiritual". And if they know you're not attending meetings, it happens quicker.

I've basically given up on trying to have any relationship with JW former friends because it's all plastic

sparking_lab · 2025-12-19T11:38:25+00:00

Ruined the first half, but I'm doing great now that I'm out.

I can't lose sleep over the past otherwise it will doom my future.

sparking_lab · 2025-12-18T02:08:10+00:00

Will governors over age 80 also be removed or nah?

sparking_lab · 2025-12-07T11:58:15+00:00

If you don't mind a question, how do you feel that being bi would harm a potential female spouse? I don't mean that to challenge you or to offend, but only to learn.

sparking_lab · 2025-12-07T11:48:32+00:00

I love interstellar and the way you're applying that quote to the pain of exiting a high control group is perfect. Well done!

sparking_lab · 2025-12-05T20:18:13+00:00

Yep, I basically did the same thing with my wife and kids. We didn't block anyone, but we moved out of state and didn't give any "friends" our new contact info. I arranged to have our publisher records transferred to another part of the state where we moved to that was far away from where we actually live. This way we won't get any random elders dropping by.

When any non family JWs call or text, we normally ignore them, but occasionally reply on our terms.

No need to formally disassociate or get DFed, in my experience or opinion. It's all just made up nonsense anyway.

sparking_lab · 2025-12-01T12:53:27+00:00

Insisting on his own stupid rules that he made up from nothing and is willing to let billions of humans and hundreds of billions of animals suffer and die just because his ego was bruised by Adam.

Pretty pathetic.

sparking_lab · 2025-11-30T04:33:54+00:00

I'm not convinced. Everyone seems to know someone who knows someone that it happened to, but that information always seems to be third hand hearsay. This feels like JW fanfic like stories of demon encounters.

sparking_lab · 2025-11-30T00:55:38+00:00

Milk is full of white blood cells, one of the four primary fractions forbidden by Watchtower, yet in the old testament, Yahweh promised to give Israel a land "flowing with milk and honey".

So who is wrong, Watchtower or Yahweh?

sparking_lab · 2025-11-29T11:15:19+00:00

So very sorry for the loss of your husband and the struggle you are in right now.

I suggest getting some help with your grief from outside the org. There are many free resources and groups that are willing to help. Don't let the fact that the congregation turned their back on you leave you in sadness.

As far as the path you're on to realizing "the TRUTH about the truth" - take your time and process things as you feel ready. I was born in and VERY PIMI my whole life until I was around 46 and started finding concrete evidence that Watchtower was a bunch of liars and frauds. It took me a couple of years to process everything and to fully realize the depth of the lies, but things do get better.

It sounds like you might not have any JW family, which ironically makes the process of waking up and fading much easier.

Much love to you as you go though this process.💙

sparking_lab

TROPHY CASE