Hi Karen - I thought you wre going to have some thought of questioner sent out (IM? e-mail? to all in the  group to get as wide a range of answers as possible, so I was waiting for that...Stil think that would be better than just relying on people to look at this thread.
I took the liberty of editing your list to add numbers so people who express their preference can do it easier, hope you dont mind.
Karen's list :

Anyway... Let's just review a few ideas and suggestions. I'd like to really blueksy things so don't hold back. Here's what we've got so far:

• 1.Current gallery method (i.e. adding everyone to faves and commenting from your faves list)

• 2.Just commenting based on the list of members in the opening post

• 3.Using a forum-based discussion method (is currently being used by some of the group in the Art Theory forum)

• 4.Having a new section of the gallery

• 5.Having a new genre in the gallery

• 6.Ability to select multiple genres at upload

• 7.Some kind of community-group or buddy-system (similar to group systems on networking sites such as myspace or livejournal)

• 8.Using keywords to search for images where critique is appreciated

• 9.Having a "critique filter" at upload

• 10.The ability to have multiple comments and replies to comments under gallery images

• 11.Restricting the group to a certain size (suggestions on size?)

OK keep 'em coming folks.... The more suggestions and discussion, the better we can make any changes we need to keep the torch burning, so to speak :-)
My opinions about the various suggestions:
1.No. large hustle when joining, need to keep watching the list to add new members, need to ask to be removed /readded when we have periods we cant be in. Hustle for Karen

2. I know some people do that anyway, and some people dont like the e-bots, but I like to be told when group members post new images, so for me that's not enough. And it stil the problems in 1. remain. YOU CAN TURN OFF GETTING E_BOTS if that is your only problem with current method.
3. As Karen just said - this already exists, in the form of the art-theory forum. I think it should stay as an additional way of getting opinions/discussions. BASED UPON RESULTS people do not think its a good enough solution - its under used. Those in favor of this method - start using what's there already
   4.&5I am not giving up asigning my posts to 'poser'  or whatever the section is. I am not giving up assigning my post to surrealism (or whatever) genre. If I have to chose I'll give up critique group
4. Obviousely I support this option as I helped formulate this suggestion. It can be either multiple genres or multiple galleries. In addition to helping the critique group this will have general benefits to other members who use more than 1 technique (poser &Vue for example) and/or more than one genre (surrealism and nature for example).
   DONT BITE MY HEAD OFF - i know this could be a major undertaking for the rendo computational team...
   7.I am not on any network buddy system so I am not sure how it would work, but if yeach of us has to add every oneelse manually - no good.
5. That was raised as a suggestion by fivecat and I see nothing wrong with it. No extra work fro Karen.No extra work joining or leaving, you can have some of your work up for critique and some not (by not adding this key-word) you can be out of the 'group' for a while and back in when you want. No e-bots for those who hate them.
   ALTHOUGH - could be nice to have an option for e-bots on specific key-words.
   (Is this also major undertaking etc..)
   This is my second best choice
6. Sorry - must have not payed attention, dont know how this whould work
7. This would be lovely - probably nicest solution, but it is only of use to this group and surely this would be a mamouth undertaking etc ect.
8. No this sounds really snobish and of limited usefulness, If I want help via comments I want it now not when there isnt a waiting list. And a limited time wouldnt be use - everyone learns at different speed, and there is always more to learn.
   Sorry if this turned out an assay, hopefully this is all I have to say in the subject. Also appologies if I dont sound very patient/polite/understanding - this isnt what I planned for this morning, so I'm trying to get it out of the way

"I paint that which comes from the imagination or from dreams, or from an unconscious drive. I photograph the things that I do not wish to paint, the things which already have an existence."
Man Ray, modernist painter
http://artpearl.redbubble.com/