I switched the forum to require "moderator approval" for the first 3 message of new members a little while ago. I did this in defense of a couple of seemingly spammy attempted users joining. However, I didn't realize the board software wasn't going to notify me in any way that there was messages awaiting approval. The result being, a few days before postings were approved.
1) this won't be an issue once you've posted 3+ messages
2) I've looked into add-on mods to the board, but no silver bullet found just yet
3) I know to check that queue now
Thanks for keeping the lines of communication open. I hope the slight delay didn't discourage anyone unduly -- it sounds like you figured out what was going on and it will now be improved. Thanks for your efforts!