Johann... thanks for your suggestions, As yourself we were all new to this stuff, and I know it can an is still somewhat confusing to most and to myself as well, although most of the testing and using as well as setting up your own site, is generally aimed at those whom have some basic knowledge of how most all things are installed and set up!
This is why We all get together to support those who are new, so they have the support that we may not have had at the time we started.
That being said as we discuss this here, there are some coders out their working on the very things you are concerned about... and again this why people like myself and other s here are testers, so we can put the new ideas to the test and see how they may and or can be used by the New and present User.
SMF for one, is being worked on, ( slowly) in an Alpha version, with many new option.
There are also other variations of SMF and TP being worked on, and the improvements explained by those doing the coding look very promising and also exciting at the same time. These things are mentioned here and on their respective sites.
And as you see here there are always those who are willing to answer the questions you may have!
Documents are also available, and as mentioned they are working hard on making these things more user frindly as we talk here!
regards,
Maxx