Why are you guys suggesting to use epochtalk? If it was ready for usage, wouldn't Theymos already be using it for Bitcointalk?
It is pretty much ready for usage; it's probably 95% complete. As far as I'm aware currently the main focus is on bug fixing and adding a couple more niche things that Bitcointalk needs to be able to use epochtalk as its main software. For a smaller forum that's starting off, small bugs and the like probably aren't an issue as there isn't a lot to lose, but you kind of want some relatively polished software before starting the long process of migration from SMF.
If it was my forum and I was an inexperienced forum host, I would want to be using the most robust, proven, widely supported forum software availablethat's certainly not epochtalk (at least for now).
Taking a look at the code though, it does seem promising, but it's been in development for so long it appears it will never be complete.