A thread from the dead, indeed, but possibly one that explains the change in the new OD book's wording of announcements of disfellowshipping or disassociation. What better way to skirt a threat such as:
If any public announcement is made by the Watchtower organization that we have chosen to "Disassociate" ourselves, or that we have been "Disfellowshipped", then we will proceed with legal action against the individual Elders
than by simply announcing that the person is "no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses." Such a public statement can easily be defended in any court action, since it can be demonstrated that the individual was indeed once one of Jehovah's Witnesses (publishers record cards, testimony of those in the congregation that the person was an active member, record of baptism, etc.). And the letter makes it clear that the person in definitely now not one of Jehovah's Witnesses. So they can hardly be sued for announcing that fact to the congregation. Since that announcement is really code for "start shunning this person," it would seem they have made it much harder for letters such as are suggested in this thread to have any effect.