The forums aren't just for asking about potential bugs. They're also great places to ask questions about how to do something. Try to be specific in your request, indicate how you've tried to solve your problem already, and discuss what you're considering in terms of a possible method for addressing the needs.
A growing way to learn about and share experiences with CiviCRM are local meet-ups. These relatively informal events generally include demonstrations of how people in an area are using CiviCRM, perhaps some technical discussion, and a chance to chat and ask questions. So far, there have been meet-ups in cities around the world, including Berlin, Boston, Bristol, Brussels, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Dresden, Dublin, Geneva, London, Montreal, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Taipei, Toronto, Warsaw, and Washington. Check out http://civicrm.org to see if there is one near you, and consider starting one if there isn't.
The core team and a growing number of other providers also put on user, administrator, and developer training events. There have also been a few code sprints, the first CiviCon in San Francisco in 2010, and the second one in Chicago in March 2011. Getting to meet people face-to-face provides an invaluable human dimension to the sharing and socializing that takes place in the community spaces online. The most valuable interactions and learning usually happen in the hallways and over drinks.
As a result of the benefits to you and the community, we strongly encourage you to participate in whatever ways you are comfortable. That might be finding advice on the wiki, posting a question to the forum, going to a meet-up, or even attending a training camp. Many people find that it is worth the time and effort they invest.
You may also find that at a certain point, you'd like to see CiviCRM add a feature or incorporate some tweak. http://civicrm.org/contribute lists the current Make It Happen initiatives, where community members can make donations to fund the development of improvements and new features. Those who are able can also provide 50 percent seed funding for a new initiative to get it started.