Okay - so I finally went ahead and revamped the forum software. I'm not sure yet if I've made the right choice with this software. There are a few decent choices out there and I really like how this program works. I was able to install some basic modifications that will hopefully prevent a lot of the spam I was having to deal with on the old software. Also, there are now a lot more features for me to edit and move posts around when people put them in the wrong forum.

The biggest issue to me, though, is how the forum will get indexed by the search engines. One thing I've learned over time is that the best way to get good discussions going is to attract traffic from people searching for more information on a specific topic. So far - I have mixed feelings about how likely it is that this site will get indexed properly. I'll give it a shot, and see how it goes for a few months. Worst case scenario, I don't get much traffic and I'll consider a different option. Of course, changing programs around does take quite a bit of time.

Feel free to let me know what you like / dislike about the new look. Hopefully people find the site educational, interesting, and enjoyable.