General forum back?

I was wondering if they (Cox admins) could bring the general forum back? I think it would do wonders for the growth of this forum if some of us regulars could sit down, take off our hats, and get to know each other. Maybe make it so you can only access it if you have 100 posts of more?  Not only could us regulars talk about general trends and patterns, but John Q Smith could feel free to post non sales/billing questions that don't normally fit under the 4 current forums. 

Also, I would like to request the ability to PM or "notify" each other? It seems like its a feature build in, just needs the UI to allow me to message others, instead of Moderators just messaging us.

And last, can we change "Email me replies" from being the default? A lot of people reply to those emails and I think that's why so many posts go unanswered. Also it would save space in everyone's inbox, except those they choose to to check it, say if its a important thread. Just a few ideas. Feel free to add in your own. Good day!