Thank your for your response.   Supposing I wanted to do away with group forum, but rather have topics that all in the network can participate in,  would Simple-Press allow for network-wide forums.  That is,  each site on a multisite install being able to see all the same forum topics and responses from their own particular site,  with that rendered in their particular theme?

Perhaps this  solution is applicable to Simple Press, found at https://gist.github.com/sc0ttk.....13964bcecc
Code to enable having the main bbPress forums on a separate sub-site. Requires: WP Multisite, BuddyPress on main site and network-activated, bbPress on main site and sub-site

Can this be adapted to become a Simple Press plugin?

<?php
/**
* Remove and add a custom function for bbPress' BuddyPress activity filter
*/
function custom_bbp_notifications_fix() {
if ( !defined( 'BBPRESS_FORUMS_BLOG_ID' ) || !BBPRESS_FORUMS_BLOG_ID ) {
return;
}
remove_filter( 'bp_notifications_get_notifications_for_user', 'bbp_format_buddypress_notifications', 10, 5 );
add_filter( 'bp_notifications_get_notifications_for_user', 'custom_bbp_format_buddypress_notifications', 10, 5 );
add_action( 'bbp_template_before_user_topics_created', 'custom_bbp_switch_to_forums' );
add_action( 'bbp_template_before_user_replies', 'custom_bbp_switch_to_forums' );
add_action( 'bbp_template_before_user_favorites', 'custom_bbp_switch_to_forums' );
add_action( 'bbp_template_before_user_subscriptions', 'custom_bbp_switch_to_forums' );
add_action( 'bbp_template_after_user_topics_created', 'custom_bbp_switch_from_forums' );
add_action( 'bbp_template_after_user_replies', 'custom_bbp_switch_from_forums' );
add_action( 'bbp_template_after_user_favorites', 'custom_bbp_switch_from_forums' );
add_action( 'bbp_template_after_user_subscriptions', 'custom_bbp_switch_from_forums' );
}
add_action( 'init', 'custom_bbp_notifications_fix' );
/**
* Format the BuddyBar/Toolbar notifications
*
* @since bbPress (r5155)
*
* @package bbPress
*
* @param string $action The kind of notification being rendered
* @param int $item_id The primary item id
* @param int $secondary_item_id The secondary item id
* @param int $total_items The total number of messaging-related notifications waiting for the user
* @param string $format 'string' for BuddyBar-compatible notifications; 'array' for WP Toolbar
*/
function custom_bbp_format_buddypress_notifications( $action, $item_id, $secondary_item_id, $total_items, $format = 'string' ) {
if ( 'bbp_new_reply' == $action ) {
custom_bbp_switch_to_forums();
$action = bbp_format_buddypress_notifications( $action, $item_id, $secondary_item_id, $total_items, $format );
custom_bbp_switch_from_forums();
}
return $action;
}
/**
* @var boolean $custom_bbp_switch
*/
global $custom_bbp_switch;
/**
* Switch to forums blog, if it's not the current blog
*/
function custom_bbp_switch_to_forums() {
global $custom_bbp_switch;
$custom_bbp_switch = ( get_current_blog_id() != BBPRESS_FORUMS_BLOG_ID );
if ( $custom_bbp_switch ) {
// Switch to forum site
switch_to_blog( BBPRESS_FORUMS_BLOG_ID );
}
}
/**
* Switch back to current blog, if not the forums blog
*/
function custom_bbp_switch_from_forums() {
global $custom_bbp_switch;
if ( $custom_bbp_switch ) {
restore_current_blog();
}
$custom_bbp_switch = false;
}