Perhaps a True Fix, would be for Forums that have subForums to make all their Boards subForums.
Lets take BTS For example, currently:
* Civilization Fanatics' Forums > CIVILIZATION IV
*** Civ4 - Beyond the Sword
****** Civ4 BTS - Official Mods & Scenarios
****** Civ4 BTS - Bug Reports
****** Beyond the Sword Screenshots
Changed to:
* Civilization Fanatics' Forums > CIVILIZATION IV
*** Civ4 - Beyond the Sword
****** Civ4 - Beyond the Sword - Discussion
****** Civ4 BTS - Official Mods & Scenarios
****** Civ4 BTS - Bug Reports
****** Beyond the Sword Screenshots
The main parent could have stickies, FAQ, Forum Rules, etc. But be locked to new posts.
Anyways, just a suggestion. I find it irksome that I can't mark certain folders as finished reading without it impacting all the subforums.