Has there been any consideration of upgrading to real forum software?

I don't mean to deminish in any way the work that has gone in to maintaining this site, I know what it takes as I run several web sites, but this forum software just plain sucks, particularly in the lack of navigation.

As far a s I can find, the only way to navigate away from any particular thread is to go clear back to the board index and dig down from there.

I have been looking into upgrading the entire site (newer version with bug fixes, newer and better features, etc).

With that also involves looking at what newer modules plug in to the newer Joomla. A new forum with that is quite the possibility.

But that has all been a slow process, as real bill-paying work takes precedence, and I have been slammed since my last contract ended (I seem to work harder and longer when Im not "employed" :-) --personal consulting gig)

Plus with Field Day (now behind most of us, but I still need to tally the group's logs and submit), and Austin's Summerfest coming up, and working on the new GUI, and figuring out how to flash Cisco phones to work on the mesh (for use AT Summerfest), personal consulting clients, and 4 kids and a wife, I dont dare chip away at any more sleep time, which is currently only from 1am to 7am. Less than 6 hours for me is counter-productive (I have tried it quite a few times and know that to be a fact now)

Thanks for the feedback.

KTF