1: 2: Touch the dot to the left of a post or comment. On a post, it shares the post with your followers. Click it if you find a post interesting. For a comment, it doesn't have an effect other than putting more dots on the wheel and signaling your approval of the comment. There are no "down-dots". 3:Click the "markup tips" text to the upper right of the comment box for formatting help. I can't help you with the last one. Try just posting about them and seeing how it goes? EDIT: If you want to be a cool kid right away, the dots are called "boopskis".
You should have been here on April 1st. Every time you hit the hubwheel to share it said the word, "thoughtful" in a high-pitched voice akin to that of Ralph Wiggum from The Simpsons. When you used the search function it said, "use google."
If you say that two more times, it's likely to happen eventually - with an option to turn it on or off in your preferences...