The Ave should be “up” this weekend.
In the meantime, I just learned of a tool that might have done the work for me. That tool is Ning.
Ning is a for profit but inexpensive web based tool that has been used by a number of organizations to create communities centered around common interests. It provides many of the same tools we have placed into TA.
Ning also may offer the kind of solution the AAUP , the Senate and others on campus need to break out of the on-campus atmosphere of self censorship. I hope you all will take a look.
I am passing this on because I hope t0 learn more about Ning,. If it can do what I want the Ave to do, then this could be a big step forward. My first impression is that it is more designed as a tool (a very good one) for creating interest oriented websites (with good resources) rather than the community, the venue intended for THE Ave. 
At a minimum, tools like Ning can be made available through TA itrself so that “we” can become a place where folks want to come. To use a perhaps not so crass , commercial analogy .. locating a UW book store branch in South Lake Union .. just like the SLUT .. would be a magnet to bring others there.
Watch for us and take a look at Ning.