I will install the new 1.8 version on a test server when its out (fyi: I am THE developer. There are no other developers to talk to.) It sounds a big step in the right direction though. In answer to all the ‘why have you done it like that’ questions (on this and another thread) that you and Henry raise is because BuddyPress is a steep learning curve and this project involved bringing together both site functionality (i.e. BuddyPress) and the design that the graphic designer supplied. The design was closer to the TwentyTwelve theme, which is why that was chosen. Then its learn and make mistakes on the way. Some things you get right, others you get wrong. Some things work, some things don’t… So to answer all your ‘whys’, ‘that’s why’.
I’m using WordPress TwentyTwelve theme with the BuddyPress Template pack add on. Reason being that the design provided by our graphic designer was closer to Twenty Twelve than it was for BP default theme. I appreciate that your going to say should have gone with / switch to the BP default theme, but we are 90% through this project now with this one issue outstanding so that will not be possible.
