I got tricked into creating an FB account and after receiving a few email alerts from other users, can see how easy it is to get drawn into it, with layer upon layer of tempting morsels that actually turn out to be more like something from the Divine Comedy!
The only thing that i have found to be of any tangible use is the Messenger app, as one of my friends works in a building that has no mobile connectivity so we use his office WiFi to 'chat' which is, of course, at this time, free.
How to find subject matter? Good question.
And onto forums..
Being in the communications industry, we were, naturally, amongst the pioneers of the World-Wide-Web and of course used early chat apps and BBS so that is what I prefer to use now (old dog, new tricks and all that).
I love THIS forum, it is so full of 'stuff' and have a good read (alongside my own caving club (TSG)forum) most days, you are a fascinating, if sometimes odd, outspoken, introverted /extraverted, obsequious, arrogant etc. and yes, there is an element of 'trolling', but if that is how you get your kicks, I certainly don't let it bother me and my skin is so thin that I worry that it might break, but mostly simply people having fun...
Also I find that having a form of Dyslexia helps to make some of the responses more interesting
Forums are a brilliant way to connect to others with a shared interest and can be a gold (or should that be lead/tin) mine of information.
When I had a problem with a car some years ago, I joined the owners' club forum and within less than 24 hours had several solutions, same when I had a query about a central heating controller, I posted on a forum and soon had the answer...
So PLEASE keep posting here, we need each other because, as most people tell me when I mention that I go caving, we are mad!