Some other mods, notably RP2, are broken up into different modules, with some being optional and others having dependencies. I think this is something that IC2 would benefit from.
Yes, there are config options to turn off some things, so if for example I believe that quantum armour is completely overpowered or too buggy to allow, I can disable it. The Bukkit port gives us even more options to disable specific recipes. I know that just mentioning Bukkit triggers knee jerks the likes of which the Russian synchro-swimming team would die for, but you're going to be forced to use it or its descendants from 1.4, so may as well get used to it.
But there are still numerous things I can't disable, and some of those things occur in groups of functionality. Someone running an IC2 server may have the opinion that his world doesn't benefit from a group, or that a group doesn't mesh well with the other mods being used, but still wants to have fun with another area of IC2.
Something like this:
IC2 Core (not optional) - additional ores, basic resources, basic machines, basic energy generation, energy net/cabling
IC2 Advanced - Teleporters, Terraformer, Mass Fab, Tesla Coil (depends on Core)
IC2 Armour and Backpacks (depends on Advanced)
IC2 Electric Tools (depends on Armour)
IC2 Crops, Food, Drinks (depends on Core)
Blocks and items go in the module that requires them. For example, rubber is required for cabling, and rubber trees are required for rubber, so rubber trees have to be a part of Core. But nothing is dependent on Coffee or Booze, and nothing outside of crops themselves is dependent on the Dupenalyser, so they can all go in the same module.
I have some idea of how much work this would be, and how hostile this forum is to suggestions, so I'm not hopeful; just throwing it out there.
files each with an adf.ly link. Lets say 10K people use RedPower (and don't use it in stolen form *cough*technic*cough*), that comes to 350,000 seconds (or 400,000) per update. 97 hours of people's time wasted. I imagine Eloraam at least on a sub conscious level does this because she/he gets 7 or 8 times the money per user. Downloading IC2 is always a relief because it takes one download, one clearly named jar (also I never change the IC2 configs, as far as I care the other mods must make room for it, not the other way round).