[still giving]

I strongly agree with this. Conceptual “groups” and “forum” are two separate things.

“Sub-forums are not groups” and vice-versa … it is confusing for users and, yes, the “joining” issue puts people off.

It is kind of strange that when a user goes to post in Forums (tab) > they are then jumped to Groups (tab).

I’d rather keep Forum stuff in the forum, and Group stuff in groups.

I am not a great fan of activity streams … it seems like noise over data to me … I think the priority should be allowing communities of bloggers to be well integrated with a place they can share and discuss relative issues in order to strengthen, develop and order those communities. Something that has not existed before in WordPress.

WordPress has always been more about empowering individualism and one way broadcast rather than cross discussion.

This is a big conceptual shift … one better managed by discussion forums right now.

Perhaps, speaking conceptually … what it really needed was WordPress as a plugin for phpBB … with BP then added on top connecting the parts … rather than building a discussion forum on top of WordPress?

Having said that, I prefer the cleanliness of WP which is why I had such high hopes and invested my interest …

Less is more.