Someone just trying to figure it all out.

This commentary, on how to ask questions, is great. It isn't trivial to ask good questions!

http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

And another, on StackOverflow and related communities in general:

(meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/261592/how-much-research-effort-is-expected-of-stack-overflow-users)

How much research effort is expected of Stack Overflow users?

Knowing your end goal helps a great deal.