Is there always a lag between the time you post a topic and when it gets posted ? Or is there a probation time or number of posts you have to make before they change a setting ?

The board moderator reviews submissions before posting to the board itself. Delay time depends on each mod and their schedule, I guess.

Go to "Account Manager" (top of GUI). Then "My Board Posts" (middle of left side). "New" means it is a new submission sitting in the mod's queue; wait a few hours. "Active" means it's been approved and posted. Other categories are deleted or rejected or something like that.

Once you have a history of posts, you can request to be unmoderated.

Isn't it only a regional mod that can/will un-moderate you? (ie: on your own regional board) and not the national mods?

but rarely will another mod besides the moderator of your regional board do so before checking with "your" local moderator, myself included.

For the OP that would be Funtime or Sojourner, I hope you have stayed on their good side. lol Actually that would be the same two mods for both of you.