ive tried to make my page layouts for each module interconnect in a sort of flow, with say you pull a video, then you have featured videos and popular videos and top videos..  on the same page boxed around the video you're watching.
and on the homepage, if your're using *gasp* a computer, and you can see the multi column layout, as the timeline goes all the major dots are there, things like active discussions, joined events, top photos, popular videos, etc.. each page layout is a rabbit hole designed to take you eventually back to the home button wondering whats going to come next..
i think it will be successful once the login stuff is resolved, and more people use the site and populate it with their thoughts feelings emotions and goodies.
most of the people on my site come for me, and then dont branch out and contact other site users, so i've been explaining to them they need to drag their friends over too, it will be more fun. i have one friend in germany in bavaria who talks with me daily on my site and she keeps telling people about it, but more of this needs to happen..
i like what you meant about tying content together.
as far as most sites, they dont let you see **** before you make an account, facebook doesn't, mewe doesn't, etc etc...
and ironically, none of the stuff we're doing is really new or revolutionary anyway, the key to a good user experience is a good logical and SIMPLE flow of expectations in tandem with the results one gets from clicking on things.. if things are not exactly as they expect, focus is gone and they assume it's broken,
or even worse, someone is hacking their phone. look at how personified and anthropomorphised the "reach" of the zuckerpuppet has become, even though 99.98% of the actions taken against site users being jailed are because they're saying stupid slanderous or libel type stuff, and then expecting to be lauded for it.. no, facebook isn't stupid, they jail these people or suspend their accounts because they are a legal liability to house on the platform, because they don't know how to behave and have terrible limits with their personal and emotional and social hygiene...
it's really ugly but this is what the mewe guy, mark weinstein had put together in 2001.