I think these boards are great! It gives us the opportunity to express our feelings, our viewpoints, our concerns, etc. When we were JWs we could not freely do any of that. Of course, we all need to behave ourselves on a forum. And we should be able to express ourselves in an appropriate manner, recognizing that our views may not always be accepted.
Common sense and fair reasoning makes a discussion board an enjoyable place to be. I like the idea of reading other people's opinions. I might identify with them or not. It is my choice. And if I see a subject that I want to indulge in, I go for it and try to express my thoughts clearly and see what others might think about it.
No board is perfect. No poster is, either. But I am hopeful that we can always express ourselves in a balanced way, even if our views are not widely accepted at the time. I remember when I first got here, how I put up many comments and threads about how JWS are really not a "cult". Thankfully, my threads were never removed because of my wrong opinion. I learned from it...even if I was/am a slow learner.😲