BuddyPress.org

@hnla: yep, my plan is actually to leave the features area where it is now (where the green “I recycle” logo is), and replace the news block with thumbnails of the latest shop items, similar to what is seen at the bottom of Etsy’s main page: http://www.etsy.com. My “features” area is actually meant to show 2 linked graphics at a time, which lead to site news posts that will be about cool events RC vendors might be holding, or a product giveaway that one of them might want to do through the site. Those will not be “paid” ads, but stuff that is written about to highlight sellers that are helping the entire site out with something they’re doing, KWIM?

@modemlooper: I see what you mean about Shopfly, but I’m going for a setup more like Etsy’s site (also check out http://www.hyenacart.com, though the styling doesn’t particularly appeal to me at all)…less a hosting sales page and more of a shopping portal. To clarify, RC doesn’t actually involve blogging (at least posted to the main site) by the WAHM vendors. The system I’ve got set up DOES use WP blog posts on the child sites for the posting of items, so in “our” vocabulary, blog post = item. The profiles on the main site are for anyone who wants to sign up, whether they’re vendors or not, and is mainly for the purpose of keeping their personal wishlists of items across all RC vendor shops (child sites) The personal activity streams and profile update abilities are just icing on the cake, and there for anyone who wants to kind of hang out with like minded people while they shop. That’s definitely something I’ll ask my users about, though (whether they’d like to get rid of that stuff as well).

ETA: and I’ve made progress on the sidebar! I think I’m happy, except for the avatar area for logged in users and the form area for logged out users. Not quite sure yet what I’m doing to those.