One protip is this site is fundamentally different from reddit. You'll find a greater concentration of intellectuals here. Fewer "drive by shooters" if you know what I mean. And it's much more tightly policed. Stay on topic and enjoy!

Read the guidelines

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

I normally browse through the Frontpage, new, and ask HN, but recently I've started using the new tab predominantly since lots of interesting content never get filtered to the front page.

You'll get the hang of it. It's a great site with intelligent discussions.

My advice: Just read for a while. Get a feel for what the vibe is here, what's on-topic and what isn't, how to disagree and argue without crossing the line into personal attacks, how to make meaningful rather than trivial comments.

Then participate as you feel you have something to contribute.

son