The forums are geared towards a community, having been started as a place for virtual world furries to gather. There are forum games that seem to gather most of people's attention and time, a few include counting although many are more creative such as the "quote the avi" game. You can jump into any of these at any time once you have read the first post that includes the rules. (designed to be almost like a group conversation)
Another major portion of the forums is the roleplay section - both a serious section and a fun section. Assuming you know what role play is, you can simply jump into most of these - the first post may include more information or a form to fill out as your "bio" or "character ref". (designed almost to be like a group conversation)
The rest of the forums are much like any other forum for any other interest. They are informative, and the posts should be kept on topic and add something that hasn't been said already. Afterall, forums were designed to be informational centers where other people share what they know. You will find info on how to be a better artist, how to make a fursuit, and much more in the other parts of these forums. (designed to be similar to yahoo answers. First post is a question, the rest are answers)
Welcome to the fandom and the forums, I hope you like it here. The fandom confused me at first and I slowly learned more, creating a clearer image in my head of what a furry is as time went on. If I had the choice to be new again, I would have spent more time learning and less time trying to teach others.
I must stop my mind from wandering now - see you around!