Maybe I am wrong on this, but isn't the 'slow fade' pretty cowardly? I think that if you DA you are making a big statement, if all these thousands that had slow-faded DA'ed i think it would send a big strong message to the active JW's..it did in my congregation. I was a model teen JW who everyone said to be like. I answered at all the meetings, did good field service, attened all the meetings,etc. etc.
Then I leave. The elders are furious and we have many arguments, but in the end I made a strong stand and because of it someone left with me, realizing he wasnt alone.
WHat if I had just faded? The active JW's might just assume i became spiritually weak, and not care that much. But DA leave a strong, stinging statement that hey, this active loyal JW thinks there is something wrong with the JW's! As a result i received many secret contacts from active JW wondering what had made me leave, and I was able to plant some seeds of doubt.
I understand many do not want to lose contact with their family, but why mplay by their rules? Why allow the watchtower to continue to control you, they still hold that gun to your head if you fad. By DA youare no longer bound by their rules. Sure your relatives may not talk to you, but how much do you want to assosiate with relatives who are that shallow? Blood is not always thicker than water. Some non-blood family can be much more loving and supportive that blood family. I'v learned the hard way blood dosent always mean a damn thing.
By slow fading i think many many countless JW have simply dissapeared, and no active JW is really noticing. I know if I was active and an elder i always looked up to suddenly da'ed himself, id be awestruck and very very curious. Remember curiousity killed the cat. Basis of the original sin :)
But basically I just feel DA is a very effective attack and can lead to more JW's leaving and does the most good. You realize that if you slow fade you can still be counted for their world wide count of JW's? Although they arent supposed to count non active publishers im sure they do sometimes.
Just my 2ยข....
-Dan