Mormon Dot Org Sees You

For discussion of secret combinations (political, economic, spiritual, religious, etc.) (Ether 8:18-25.)
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Joel
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Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by Joel »

Mormon Dot Org Sees You


An interesting little insight came about through messing around with missionaries on Mormon.org.


I was pretending to be a missionary, using the script they rely on to speak with folks who come to their chat box and ask questions. The conversation was intentionally confusing, as you see below. I adopted the name “Courtney” from a missionary I had just conversed with on an earlier chat thread.

Courtney (that’s me): Hi!

–Now Chatting with Joseph– (This is the real missionary)

Joseph: Hi! This is Joseph and Thomas. How are you?

C: Hi Joseph! We have a prophet named Joseph. Would you like to learn more about him and the Restored Church? [Again, I’m pretending to be one of them, talking to an investigator named Joseph / Thomas]

Thomas: Sounds great!

C: So what is your question Joseph?

Joseph: What can we help you with?

C: That’s what I was wondering. How can I help you today?

[after some delay…]

C: Wait, are you a missionary too? This is so funny! I thought you were an investigator!

Thomas: You know it :)

C: I’m totally confused now. I’m a missionary. I think the system has been hacked or something.

Thomas: What mission are you in?

C: Honolulu. You?

Thomas: What is your last name?

C: Sorensen. You? This is sooooo weird! I’m checking with the office elders.

Thomas: Are you an online missionary?

————————————-

Here is where the little game exposed something. Apparently, I convinced Thomas/Joseph that I was possibly a real LDS missionary, so much so that they began to ask rather unscripted questions, while checking their databases. These questions are the sort an officer of the state would ask strange persons who are found where they shouldn’t be. Papers! What is your name? What mission are you in?

Now I’m inside, right? I start typing “I’m a full time missionary” but delete it, and instead typed, “I’m doing an online split for two hours.” Then I hit /send/. I never hit /send/ until I had deleted the “full time missionary” text, and replaced it with “doing an online split.”

So? Thomas responds, aggressively now (using the wrong ‘your’):

Thomas: Your a full time Elder or your doing an online split for two hours? Your story changed.



I never sent the “full time” text. He was reading my screen while I typed. Not merely seeing what I typed after I hit “send”. I was stunned, obviously a sign of how naïve I am about internet communication.

I checked this pre-send surveillance by typing, “are you full time?” while not actually sending it. And he replied, “No, I am not full time.” So I typed, and didn’t send, “Are you reading my screen, before I hit ‘enter’? Creepy!” And I didn’t hit /send/ this time, either. Here’s what Thomas wrote, in response to what I hadn’t actually sent:

Thomas: You would know wouldn’t you?

Courtney: [typing…not yet hitting /send/] You would know, wouldn’t you?

Thomas: Yes, I would know.

He jumped out of the chat quickly, with a “Yup :) Its no secret” and “God bless!”

—————————-

Now, he seems like a nice enough kid, just doin’ his job, as they say. And a secret it may not be, but there’s nothing alerting the incoming chatter on Mormon.org that their keystrokes inside the chat box are being recorded and read by an online missionary, whether you hit “send” or not. So, to whom is it NOT a secret? Apparently to online missionaries. And now it’s not a secret to a few others, as well…

I just wish Jesus had a Mormon.org profile. Hi! I’m the Creator of Heaven and Earth, I like redeeming, donkey rides, walks on the beach and on the water, and I’m a Mormon!

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Elizabeth
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Location: East Coast Australia

Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by Elizabeth »

Joel, you would be wise to find something constructive to do with your time.

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David13
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Location: Utah

Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by David13 »

Elizabeth
That was my thought exactly.
dc

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Jason
Master of Puppets
Posts: 18296

Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by Jason »

He is...just working for a different master...

isaacs2066
captain of 100
Posts: 380

Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by isaacs2066 »

If you are serious that is unsettling to say the least.

If you are joking then it was fairly entertaining.

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shadow
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Location: St. George

Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by shadow »

That format isn't uncommon at all. You're on their system. it's like a live chat room.
Some of the companies I represent use the same or a similar program. Oh let's freak out!
This is a non story, Joel.
Now if LDS.org was bugging your computer and using your camera to watch you drink morning coffee and sending the video to your bishop, then yeah, post that. That would be interesting. But using communication apps that thousands of other companies also use is a bit boring, isn't it?

Zathura
Follow the Prophet
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Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by Zathura »

Joel, it's okay because babylon does it. Calm down.

kennyhs
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Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by kennyhs »

Image

kennyhs
captain of 1,000
Posts: 1537

Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by kennyhs »

Stahura wrote:Joel, it's okay because babylon does it. Calm down.
Its called technology........Joel needs to try and keep up.

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shadow
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Posts: 10542
Location: St. George

Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by shadow »

Stahura wrote:Joel, it's okay because babylon does it. Calm down.
Babylonians also breath and eat. What's your point?

Zathura
Follow the Prophet
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Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by Zathura »

My point is that Babylon does it, so Joel should calm down.

onefour1
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Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by onefour1 »

If the story is true, I find it a little unsettling. Wondering what effect this has on the missionary who knows the church has set up a system and is having them spy on the unsent thoughts of those trusting the LDS system. If I were heading up the mission department I would get rid of that program. How many of our missionaries might find this unethical and leave the church over it? I hope that isn't the case.

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Chip
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Location: California

Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by Chip »

So, they see every keystroke of the investigator, but the investigator only sees theIr complete responses, after hitting enter?

If so, that gives the missionaries much more insight into the investigator, than the investigator gets about the missionaries.

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Rachael
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Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by Rachael »

Can BrianM do this too?

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iWriteStuff
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Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by iWriteStuff »

Rachael wrote:Can BrianM do this too?
BrianM is already omniscient and omnipresent. He doesn't need to see your keystrokes, as he has already mastered The Matrix and can see what you will say before you say it. I thought you knew this? :-B

Sunain
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Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by Sunain »

So, if the church had an NSA division, they could check the chat logs for your IP, then whois lookup and geolocate your IP to have a fairly good idea of where you are located in the world and then match that location to ward boundaries. They could then limit the list of potential suspects to a specific ward and then send an abuse of service request to your ISP based on that IP and ask for name and address details which would then be forwarded to your ward or stake president for a "secret interview"! :-$ :ymdevil:

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shadow
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Location: St. George

Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by shadow »

onefour1 wrote:If the story is true, I find it a little unsettling. Wondering what effect this has on the missionary who knows the church has set up a system and is having them spy on the unsent thoughts of those trusting the LDS system. If I were heading up the mission department I would get rid of that program. How many of our missionaries might find this unethical and leave the church over it? I hope that isn't the case.
Why would this be unsettling and unethical?

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A Random Phrase
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Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by A Random Phrase »

iWriteStuff wrote:
Rachael wrote:Can BrianM do this too?
BrianM is already omniscient and omnipresent. He doesn't need to see your keystrokes, as he has already mastered The Matrix and can see what you will say before you say it. I thought you knew this? :-B
:))




=))



Trying to catch my breath.

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A Random Phrase
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Location: Staring at my computer, not sure whether to laugh or cry.

Re: Mormon Dot Org Sees You

Post by A Random Phrase »

Sunain wrote:So, if the church had an NSA division, they could check the chat logs for your IP, then whois lookup and geolocate your IP to have a fairly good idea of where you are located in the world and then match that location to ward boundaries. They could then limit the list of potential suspects to a specific ward and then send an abuse of service request to your ISP based on that IP and ask for name and address details which would then be forwarded to your ward or stake president for a "secret interview"! :-$ :ymdevil:
:)) :ymdevil: :((

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