Im sure Im not the ONLY former JW here who is noticing the subtle, and not so subtle changes in WTS policy, and their attempts to make life EASIER for their rank n file.
Combining the Book Study Meeting with the Service Meeting / Ministry School Meeting and giving their members a "night off" so to speak (although they are of course encouraged to use this night as an evening of "Family & Personal Bible Study") is surely a sign that they understand their current R&F members can only take so much more of the WTS complete control over every waking hour of their lives.
They have also shortened the Public talks, cut down on the length of assembly days...I remember the 8 or 9 day assemblies as a kid myself, and over the years they have gotten shorter...a week...4 days...now generally no longer than 3 days.
There have also been adjustments to the amount of hours needed to be a "Pioneer" or "Auxilary Pioneer."
WHY would the WTS make these adjustments after YEARS, DECADES of teaching the R&F "Not to forsake the gathering of ourselves together" (IE make EVERY Meeting, associate ONLY with JW's) and that "This Good news MUST be preached through out the entire earth and THEN The End will come" (IE JW's have to preach to EVERYONE, the more hours you put in = the better Witness you are) unless they WTS is smelling blood in the water and fearing mass dissention among the R&F, and are making last ditch efforts to try and EASE UP before the mass exodus of the R&F begins.
Then of course we also see the change of policy on Blood and how they have gone from a strict "NO Blood or any variation thereof" to "No Blood...but use of any and all FRACTIONS of blood, in any combination, is a PERSONAL decision."
I expect to see a LOT more of these changes in policy over the next few years, especially as we get closer and closer to 2014 and the complete exposure of their interpretation of "This Generation" as a laughing matter.