Most people here are or were active on Reddit. I'd say most everyone is comfortable with the few Reddit waves we get every year. The biannual Reddit wave used to cause a panic but I think most people are used to it by now. Post some stuff you think is interesting, comment where you think you have something to say. Follow the people who you find you keep running into. Some people follow tags but I haven't found it very edifying. You could follow no one and nothing and get just about as much out of the site. For me following just helps me keep track of and notice conversations and content that I'm more likely to enjoy. I like to click the time button up top to see what's new more than I like to see what's popular. It's worth hitting the community button to see the most popular comments and posts of the day.