julian You're going into a place I was going to suggest around 2022 (becasue forums have been on the decline for a long time), while this sub-reddit-eaque is a neat feature, what about thinking of "ways" of being instead.
If you think about supporting or looking for inspiration in terms of feature roadmap, where next for then NodeBB as a content creation platform, extra of being a forum, is when you start to unlock the true potential.
You might rememeber I pointed out substack some years ago and it wasn't that familiar to you or most back then, it was the lockdowns and covid allowed it go prime time IMHO.
So here is a concept you might consider.
- NodeLET (Solo) a stepped down versions of a full NodeBB that is content creator centric (it may not allow more than one user, it might limit users, it can have tiered plans, it hosted but NodeBB, it's liek NOdeBB for one user that can bu spun up like droplet are spun up on DO in seconds)
Think of NodeLET as content hub as opposed to a hub for users.
- NodeBB with NodeLET functionally (integrated)
What is NodeLET?
NodeLET is hosted by NodeBB in-house as a service, (think wordpress.blog but technically spun up liek a DO droplet) the user does not need admin level they are content creation focused, they just need composer, draft and the tags fundamentally to organise content, forums, sub categories etc, might not even be needed. Stripped back, you get the idea.
Now that you have activity pub you can use this to hook up NodeLET to other NodeBB's and beyond, and so so on.
Content creation space for the quiet content creator who wants a nice place to go and tap without distraction and mange their more long form thoughtful content over time.
Does this make sense?
The idea is a NodeLET would start as a free service for content creators, now that substack exists which came to my attention after I thought of this way of re-selling or re-spinning NodeBB that market is well established in terms of a simpel offering to the content creator.
It's a new market segment because no one did it so well and elegantly until substack came along IMHO.
Focusing on content creation, but still being a very different option than say a WordPress vs substack option.
All my UI suggestions are generally based around content creation centric idea of NodeLET but I never explained it properly, but if you're gonna do sub-reddit you might as well emrbace the whole spectrum of user-needs potential dev led pat or "ways" of being, as opposed to what others are doing.
Build for the user you missed or forgot about, because NodeBB can do it all technically, as I've pointed out most of the ability is already under the hood, it exists, it's actually a matter or reconfiguring layout, how you offer the capabilities to the potential user / marketing (Harmony theme actually works well here)
Offer 2 configuration, of NodeBB that's another way
- Solo (limited, free) A Single user NodeBB offering.
- Solo Plus (fee, more features) A single user NodeBB for closed content creation group
- NodeBB (Full) What we all know and love.
Bonus is all of these options can openly interconnect now, where back a few years they may have not so easily - Activity Pub is the thing that didn't exist when I was thinking about this, because as I've alluded to or implied it goes back to an even older idea I had when trying to solve a problem 2012, when I saw substack it looked the slowest to it. Over a decade later.
Since you have integrated activity-pub deeply and mastered it (I assume you have not following things) you could now create a NodeBB universe of NodeBB (powerhouse mega NodeBB) and NodeLET all interacting and interconnecting
I'd really like to be able to, and within seconds, with a single email address and password sign up for a stripped down NodeLET Acc and be typing happily (content creating) within seconds, that I could then disturbute to wherever whenever with a few clicks, get analytics back on where it is being seen and how much and maybe even track payment for effort too, without being a site owner or carrying any of that "publishing" at scale burden.
That' the bones of the original 2012 idea.
I know I'm sliding off topic but it's out of my head now. 