I'd like to see the option to require real names during registration including separate first and last names and possibly birthday (like facebook). Separate fields for first and last names would allow for proper sorting ("last, first").

Better yet make all the profile fields in the custom profile fields menu and rename it to just profile fields. It allows much more diversity to community management. Although, username and password of course would not be included in this though/etc.

Yes. I think that an approach to solving this would be to make the entire registration form customizable (like the facebook API does where you can pick the fields and how they are validated). Then, carry this over to make the entire profile customizable (which fields are defined and how they are validated including the ability to omit fields like gender or to make a field required or optional).

Anyway, maybe 3.2 can rethink registration and profile information to take this part of IPB to the next level.

thought you can do all this by using the custom profile fields already available?