If you can find a more recent topic on the same subject and join in the current(ish) conversation there then I’d say give that a go. 
I wouldn’t worry too much about the Badges and Trust Levels as they’re not all designed to be done in a day. 
There’s more info in the links, but they count reading and Liking stuff just as much as posting, so you can take your time and have a read of everything to get a feel for the place.