First of all, WELCOME!
I don't profess to know a perfect path for you, but the basics for HN
are fairly simple, and they also apply to learning lingo and the areas
in which they are used (programming, marketing, seo, finance, ...).
0.) Read. You'll learn more by reading than posting.
1.) Be Nice (note: I'm not always nice)
2.) Answer Your Own Questions. If you try to answer your own questions,
you may or may not succeed, but at least you'll be far better prepared to
both ask better questions and better understand the answers. --You won't
get much out of an exchange unless you actually put something into it.
3.) Give Your Best Response. If you respond with an answer or even an
opinion, do the work necessary to provide supporting references. As you
can see, this is closely related to #2 in the sense of making the
homework a bit easier. I've actually seen (and even made) one-line
jokes, but the person who replied with a reference link was up-voted
more than the joke itself.
4.) Remain Positive. There will always be things you don't understand
being discussed, but believe in your own ability to understand them
through study and effort.
5.) The Jokes Actually Are Funny, Even If You Don't Get Them, And Even
If No References Are Given.
6.) Respect Decisions. Some people can not or will not give specifics of
their business ventures. It's their choice.
7.) Everyone Is Busy. If you submit a story or write a comment, consider
the time and effort of the reader will spend on it. The time invested is
multiplied by the number of readers, so your contribution should have
as much merit as possible. --You will both succeed and fail at this, (I
do) but the goal is to try your best.
8.) Read the "Guidelines" [1] and the "FAQ" [2]
[1] http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
[2] http://ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html