This is a matter of opinion really and not the intended action in the product the way you want it that is. This is how it works and how Michael coded it and the permissions.
1. You as admin can setup categories and set permissions on how users can delete edit view place photos comments in your categories etc thats how things work and you know how all these work. I know you do.
2. Users remember only if you allow them to create personal albums can create albums or assign them to categories etc. Now this is where the confusion here is on your part. As far as personal albums are concerned you dont own them. The user does. They are infact the admin of those and can administer them as they see fit.
Thats the real difference here. You can a user delete his personal album well in the program he is allowed to do that. If you do not want users to create albums which they have total control over then you may remove the permission in edit usergroups for users to not create any new albums. Force them to upload to categories you allow and control.
Your suggestions are all good suggestions. Feel free to make any suggestions in the suggestions forum you wish.
Your comparison to permissions in a forum does not really jive with the discussion here on personal albums since a forum does not have anything remotely like this.