you might not having spent him a drink yet, Chris ;)

I agree with your suggestions: check out both solutions and select which is more convenient for your use case. 

This may have something to do with the apparent love affair evidenced between certain DNN Team Members and Will.  I've tried to post useful community opinions about Will's company and products in the past but that post was deleted along with the evidence on the strengths and weaknesses of his modules.  Personally I avoid Will's products.  Definitely visit his support forum for awhile and get a picture for yourself.

I'm still running SQL Server 2000 and Active Social requires SQL 2005 or 2008, so I 'm currently playing with Smart-Thinker's modules because they work with my set-up.  

At first glance/play the modules seem to work well for the use that I want, and Rodney has articles on ST that tell you how to get the best out of them.  Rodney has also worked hard to get other developers (Pengsten R at BizModules and Scott McCulloch at Ventrian to name two) to provide ways of integrating their modules with ST's.  Of course one other major beneftit of Rodney's modules is that he has offered them to the community free of charge.

I will shortly be opening up this part my site to a small group of people who will criticise it for me, I'll be able to tell you more when they respond.

Barry