BuddyPress.org

“I want to have many users, major emphasis on articles and basically block out all the rest.”
Single install of WP 3.0.1 and you[ don’t even need BuddyPress. You can even use the Mingle Forums plugin which doesn’t require the Mingle plugin or SimplePress Forum plugin. As for central profile area, you can create WP author template plus a WP page template coded to taste for list of authors and you’re done.

@jimsnaps “So is there no way to use buddypress, block out what’s not needed, and add an article mod? “
I answered based on your requirements, and you mentioned forums were optional No intention to limit you at all, just keeping it simple and clear. Of course you could install BuddyPress, and activate only the component/s you need at this time.

If you want the Forums component, know that you need to activate Groups component as well because the BP forums component is attached to groups. And members automatically join a group by default when they post to the group’s forum unless that group is private and no-one can post to that group’s forum unless invited to join the group. I also suggest reading through this general reference
https://codex.buddypress.org/getting-started/configure-buddypress-components/

Of course with BP activated, there’s the One Quick Post plugin which will allow your members to post articles from the frontend. However, you will need to code using BP blog loop to generated the list of posts that each member has posted in your blog to show up in individual member’s profile page.

If you do not want to go through all that, install external bbPress forum and integrate it with your WordPress installation. When you’re ready to use BuddyPress components, BP can integrate existing external group forum to its fold – again, with the caveat that forum will be then be attached to groups.