When I came to Flow Portal I wondered. When reading the first two of the eye-catching headlines I was literally shaking my head and was just thinking "No! What's going wrong here?".
- "Users expect a modern and intuitive discussion interface."
No they don't! I (as a user) always loved Wikipedias concept of talk pages which is unique and unbeatable in it's simplicity. You write what you mean and it just works. No need for a blown-up messaging interface, just pure Wikitext. For their purpose the ucrrent talk pages are a perfect match.
- "Users are surprised by the cultural norms of the community."
Oh yes, they are! And it might be even a bit confusing in the beginning. But the longer one is contributing to Wikipedia the more one appreciates them. The "cultural norms" are a fundamental aspect of the Community. The fact that you can call it cultural norms should be enough to know that we have something great going. Who else ("normal" discussion forums, etc.) can claim to have an own subculture?
Talk pages made Wikipedia what it is today. The whole threaded mess you're planning will ruin it for everybody.