Quote
patrick-darcy
one of the functions of the numbers is to isolate the guests from each other.

if u bring in 3 guests they are all given different numbers so that they
are talked without their friends around.


i thought there were just 4 of them, maybe they have moved it up to 5.

I was an introduction leader for about 18 months and when we ran these evenings (after a forum or advanced course) numbering the name tags was the way we used to divide people among the introductions to the forum, so that no one room got more people than the leader could handle. Some of the introduction leaders were experienced and could handle a big audience, some were less experienced. It was perfectly possible for friends to stay together if they really wanted to though as we never really checked the numbers. In London it wasn't unusual to have 5-8 introductions running on the Tuesday after a big forum or advanced course.

i have spoken to some people in the past, years ago and i was told
that people who attend in groups are broken up when possible so
that they dont have any of their friends around them to talk to when
they are being worked over.

maybe in some forums and maybe in some in different parts of the
world they are different but in some i have been told that they do
break up groups to be indoctrinated.

The name tag number are, as others said, a way of separating friends from being in the same group for the small group intro. When I went to the intro, I kept futzing with my nametag, playing with it, moving it around, taking it off, putting it in different spots. It really put a bee in their bonnet... Actually, if you can go to these things with the thought in mind to mess with their brains, you can have a lot of fun... But there are better ways of having fun.... Almost any other way is a better way, IMO...

Well, I've been involved with LM for more then 10 years, and volunteered the whole period. I personally have never seen the numbers being used to seperate guests from others. But it may have different on other places. Because I have seen 'experiments' held on the Tuesday evening. "Last time we did not have a lot of enrollments, how about we do it this way next Tuesday?". Also I have seen participants and guests being seperated all together, just by keeping the participants in the main room and sending guests off to 'their introduction' half way through the evening (much simpler then working with numbers). Much to the upset of some participants by the way who did not expect this.
Sulalee, if you fondle your nametag :) you may say panic on faces, not because of the seperation plan, but because of STATISTICS. You walk in and become a number. Maybe they did assign you to a room and when you remove your nametag there's no tracing and tracking. So will the number of guests in that room add up? Numbers have to be correct!
The joke is, it is virtually impossible to get the numbers right at an introduction evening. But you try to be 'extra ordinary', so you do everything to get it right. I hated guests that wouldn't sign up period. Or the ones that forgot to mention they'd already done the Forum: oh, please step back sir, I have to put a coloured dot on your nametag...

actually I think they don't want to split guests up from their landmark robot friend. The robot is instrumental in turning the guest and enrolling him/her. Because if the friend has a good relationship with the robot the robot can say "simply trust me - look at me - don't I seem happier?". Some people fall for that.