re. the JM quote, the bit directly before that quote is also relevant, I think - "I wrote them, they got approved, then posted." So it may just be superior show-runner fanfic, but it also has a degree of legitimacy no fanfic ever has, in that it met with the approval of TPTB before being posted. In that sense, IMO it does have a degree of canon legitimacy comparable to, say, the website content - and would score more highly for me, if I was looking to grade content outside pure canon, than things like commentaries, interviews, panels etc. Though of course I would say that since the Captain's Blogs fitted nicely with the backstory I have in mind for much of the show anyway!