I was also struck by JR Brown's comments on the culture of a JW congregation as mentioned by "Comment" when it came to confidentiality.
Basically Brown was saying that while it never is specifically announced why a person is disfellowshipped, most JW's in a congregation still know the reasons due to gossip. Brown was almost implying that the gossip JW's are well known for was actually a good and beneficial thing that the organization uses to its advantage.
I think this is a significant admission in that basically they are well aware that confidentiality regarding judicial matters is generally a farce and that the means they use to protect themselves legally (ie. not announcing the specific sin) are meaningless on a practical level.
Path