Although the last PR update was a long wait, I was kind of hoping GG wouldnt update until mid Jan so my new directory will show PR - oh well.

You should never have to submit your site to any of the major search engines, including Google. They will find you through links on other sites.

Yes, its a handy keyword research tool :)

If your having difficulty getting traffic to your forum and getting people to post to begin with (which is only normal) perhaps take part in a forum post exchange.