How to join a forum successfully

Online forums and bulletin boards, especially money forums, contain a wealth of information and experience with a breadth that's hard to capture anywhere else. Beyond just "lurking" in the forums, they're also a great place to ask questions. Here are a few tips that will help you to start off on the right foot and become a valued member of a new forum community:

Browse the forum to see what topics are discussed. There are some general forums and there are many more tightly-focused forums. If you have a question, does it look like the people there will be able to answer it?
Does it look like they will answer your questions? Are your questions at an appropriate level for the forum? Sometimes forums are meant for experienced investors, traders, etc., and though they'll generally be enthusiastic about your new interest if you're a novice, they may ask that you get up to speed on basics, and they'll hopefully point you in the right direction to do that.
Sign up if it looks like you'll be able to contribute meaningfully. Usually the sign-up process is pretty easy. You may need to wait for approval from an administrator or moderator. You may also need to confirm your e-mail address.
Read the rules of the forum carefully and obey them. Smaller forums generally have fewer rules than larger ones, but a really good way to not be welcome is to break the forum's rules. It's likely that you'll be forgiven initially, but it's always better to toe the line from the start.
Introduce yourself! Most forums have a sub-forum for this, so say hello just like you would do at a convention or a cocktail party.
Search for answers to your questions before posting. If it's a vanilla question it's likely that it's been answered, so look around and use the Search feature to find it. Posting a question that's been answered already will likely annoy veteran members. (This may be stated in the rules of the forum. Another good reason to read them!)
Be nice. Being nice always beats being a jerk. Being nice will let people cut you slack. Vindictive posting, or flaming, is not being nice.
Have fun and be yourself. People participate in forums because they love the subject matter, so enjoy it!