A community blog could never replace a discussion forum like this one and shouldn't have that as a goal, but a blog could fill some important needs and even have some advantages over a traditional discussion forum.
It would be similar in that it would contain posts that could be commented on. The navigation would be different. It would also have limitations on who could post articles. (However, the ability to comment wouldn't have to be limited.)
Here are some possible benefits of having a community blog.
1. Search engine optimization: Ideally, a blog would avoid much of the fluff of a discussion forum. The articles would likely be more focused and make better use of keywords. The authors would be encouraged to avoid abbreviations and funny descriptions of Watchtower terms that are unlikely to be used in Internet searches.
2. Contact information: If we used a platform like Blogger, every author could have his own profile page. This wouldn't need to have identifying information. The contributors could use the same user name as on JWD. An email address could be provided. This could be a separate address if desired. It would be necessary to have or get a Gmail account anyways to become a contributor. The new Gmail address could be used for contact purposes, while maintaining your privacy.
3. Archive ability: The contributors could post some of their better JWD posts on the blog as a protection against JWD having technical problems or eventually closing down. (I know there are plans to keep JWD up as an archive. I'm appreciative of that. Still, unexpected things happen.)
4. Links: Most discussion forums make the links in their posts no follow for the search engines. (I assume this one does this too.) This is necessary to prevent spammers who would post links with the expectation that this would boost their site's rating with the search engines. Blog posts could contain links to other Ex-JW sites that boost the sites' ratings with the search engines. This generally makes it easier for searchers to find information that is critical of the Watchtower Society. It would also undermine the positions of the official or other favorable JW web sites. The sidebar would also contain a list of links to informative websites.
5. A way to try blogging: A lot of people consider blogging, but are concerned about making that kind of commitment. A community blog wouldn't require much time from any one contributor. It's also a good way to learn about some of the basics without worrying about site design or promotion tasks.
6. News: A community blog could provide a good way to keep up with important developments in the Watchtower organisation. Many readers may decide to subscribe to its feed as a convenient way to stay informed.
7. Promotion for existing web sites and blogs: Current website owners and bloggers would be encouraged to join and use it as a platform for promoting their own sites. For example, a portion of an article could be quoted followed by a link to that site. Musicians and artists could also mention and link to their work, especially if it relates to Ex-JW experience.
8. Random visitors: Blogger has a next blog button that sends random visitors to the blog. This could be a good way to expose some JW's that would never intentionally visit an "apostate" site to the truth about the "truth". It can also help the general public about the dangers of the Watchtower Society.
So what do you think? This could only work if a reasonable number of people are interested in contributing. Is anyone interested in running this kind of site? If not, I would be willing. I'm pretty busy right now, but I believe I could find the time to set it up and perform basic maintenance.
Here are some guidelines that I would probably suggest if I ran the site.
1. I would limit the potential contributors to current JWD members and probably require a minimum number of posts to insure that they are not potential troublemakers. I might make exceptions for people I know and trust.
2. Contributors would likely be required to make at least one post a year or face possible deletion. I don't think that is unreasonable.
3. The posts would have to meet minimum standards of decency and relevance. Sexual topics are fine if they related to the JW experience and are treated respectfully. Profanity should be avoided. Failure to follow reasonable guidelines could result in deletion of the post and possible
expulsion of the contributor. The intention should be to provide high quality articles for the benefit of the Ex-JW community and the general public. It's not a discussion forum and would therefore have a different set of standards.
Please let me know if you think this is a good idea or if it would just be a waste of time.