1. Mentions - You can "@" any member. Use it to alert them to a thread or to make sure they see you posted something to them.
You will see a list as you begin typing a name after the @.
2. Shoutbox - It's at the bottom of the main page. May or may not be there for very long.
3. Members Areas- I set the Radio and Politics categories to Members Only. It will stay that way until I can get the ad system working properly so that members see fewer ads.