PS: global variables are the spawn of Satan. 
Your hunch was right, it was a template problem. I was using the variable $user in my header.php to refer to the person currently logged in (for my custom user menu). Little did I know that this variable is also used by the profile page to store the person you’re looking at. So I was unintentionally overriding it with my custom code.
Fixed!
It’s an adjusted version of the Kakumei theme that links to my wordpress install’s stylesheet, menu, and header artwork, and a few graphical tweaks.
By the way, what does “deep” integration involve? When I think of integration, I think of sharing logins between WordPress and bbPress, and possibly using the same template system so both sides share the same header and menu system.
On another side I solved the template issue by having a single “master” template system and CSS file that handled the page header, main menu, footer, and sidebar, leaving the specific bbPress and WordPress templates to only handle the stuff inside the main content box.
As for handling logins, I made the login button go to the bbPress login page (in all its themeable glory) no matter where you click it.
@_ck_: That’s one opinion on 2.7, but I actually like it. I really upgraded for security reasons (getting hacked will do that to you), but then I grew to really like the interface.
@nv1962: That’s the first time someone quoted me using the word “thusly”
@chrishajer: We want integration so people can use the same login to post comments to news stories and post in the forum. Maintaining two separate logins for the same site is asking too much of the casual visitor. I had the integration 100% seamless; nobody would have any clue that they’re looking at different pieces of software.
