I wasn't raised a JW. I chose to be a part of the group, and live by their beliefs. I met some very wonderful, caring people who were supportive. I met some very narrow-minded, insensitive jerks too. Oddly enough, I met both caring and insensitive people in the 'world' too, before and after my JW experience. There is good in JWs, just like there's good in any other 'group', if you look for it. I can tell you that my personal experience has been mirrored over and over and over again in the stories I hear here and other ex-JW sites.
People who come to this board do not have the option of going back on their own terms. Can I go back to the JWs and keep my worldly boyfriend? No. Well, I could, but I would be marked. Right? I would have to conform to the standards that are set out by men. Unscriptural, and sometimes dangerous traditions of men. And if I did go back and did keep the boyfriend, you can be assured that I would be getting 'guidance and counsel' to conform, probably every meeting. You can also be sure that on the whole I would be labelled with a certain level of bad association.
It's been my experience, and I dare say the overwhelming experience of the people who post here from what I've read, that when the chips are down and your back is up against the wall, JWs on the whole will follow the WTBTS over their own personal relationships. I fail to see how that is commendable, where the person is thrown out for a principle, or worse, for an unscriptural tradition of man. That is the epitome of lack of love. When I DAd from the JWs I had done NOTHING out of line, except miss meetings, and those for a valid medical reason. I had been marked from that, long before I had a boyfriend and long before I left. There was NO support, not from elders, not from pioneers, not from 'regular' publishers. And I wasn't exactly unknown; this was the cong. I learned the 'truth' in, I had several people I regarded as spiritual parents and who thought of me as their spiritual child. Every one of them turned their back on me because I didn't conform to the rigid standard.
Individual JWs may act differently...and ironically, those are ones who probably don't follow all the 'rules' either. The first step to walking out? Maybe. Who's to say?
I'm not quite sure why the point was made about the number of posters here vs the number of JWs in the world Nor do I understand why it has to be explained to lurkers or other interested parties who visit that there are two sides to the issue. People who are lurking are either still affiliated with the WTBTS and happy to be so, and here simply to find out info, or they are dissatisfied with JWs and their experience with it and are looking for info as well. Coming to an ex-JW board should be tip off #1 that they are going to find an overwhelming amount of people who have bad experiences and quite possibly negative talk. Just like any other ex-group board.
I think when you talk in terms of support, that this is a place that is predominantly set up for ex-JWs to be able to get the anger, injustice, and hurt out so it doesn't fester and build up. It provides a common place for identification and realization that a person isn't alone. It would be nice to have gotten that from my JW friends and family when I left...but that avenue of support was unequivocally shut down from me.
For those who are still half in the org, or still active but fading, or in but not wanting to be but staying, those ones may find a small amount of support from the JWs they know. But chances are, if they state any of their doubt, concerns, etc., they'll probaly be treated the same way that so many of us were.
JMHO.