Personally, while it does suck that we can't often get the kind of improvements we might like, it doesn't detract from the reason we're here in the first place. Sure, setting up some other forum is nice when you think about all the benefits, but the down-sides do outweigh things from an initial perspective, and this isn't simply having to recreate content.
One of the biggest things this forum has going for it is its exposure. You type in "music forum" on Google, and we're all the way at the top. Even if the majority of lurkers aren't posting, your posts are being read SIGNIFICANTLY. You don't get there just by doing some
SEO and letting the hits roll in. It's a long, hard-fought road. The point of this is that when you have the kind of exposure this place gets, it rarely gets old from a potential for new contribution perspective. It's self-sufficient in that way. And while there may be downfalls to that same exposure, there are measures in place to rectify them.
Starting up a new forum doesn't just mean you'd have to re-create all your content. It also means that, realistically, you're going to be starting with a relatively small group, and you won't have the same rankings this place will, which will make it very lonely, for a very long time. If you have a dedicated core group heading it up, that might not be so bad posting amongst such a small group for a very long time, but the last thing anyone should expect is that it would be getting the same kind of action we have here.
If someone wants to build something, that's great. But I think people should understand the commitment that goes into something like that, and honestly, I think the reason this place thrives is because not only are there committed members here, but there is an incentive for being here beyond bouncing the same ideas between the same people over and over again. Yea, you might get there eventually with a self-started place, but do you have the kind of core membership that would be able to stick it out through the YEARS of gaining practically nothing in terms of membership, especially when you're competing against a place that ranks number one in a search query?
Ultimately, I don't think most people come here are here for fancy features and ability to control the layout and smileys. People come here (I'm being generous) to talk about music with a large variety of people. That is in no way restricted by absentee admins. Considering that, does it really seem feasible to expect a relatively small portion of the community to defect to some other place so they can do what they do here with more control over irrelevant issues, but less people to keep it fresh, simply on the hope that it might be as prolific someday?