What may have happened is when you registered if you didn't fill out the required forms correctly then we put the account into pending. This is mainly to stop spammers trying to sell penis enlargements... :\
If an account looks legitimate (full name put in, location etc) and the account doesn't look suspect then it will get authorized automatically.
It's just an extra bit of security that we have in place to help make the forum safe and fun for everyone.
As for usability, I think its pretty good compared to the old forum. Yes there are sections missing but as the content builds we will add them in on request. There is a section called 'Comments/Suggestions' on the main forum so if you would like to see any features added or sections re-introduced then please either PM me or post a comment in this section and we will look at it.
Cheers
Mike