Welcome to the AYP Forum, Frederick. It is a treasure trove of information and inspiration. Feel free to share and ask questions on any spiritual matter that is on your mind and share your journey with us. I lived some years in Leipzig, Germany long time ago.
Regarding the “others”, I haven’t seen much casual threads in the forum since I discovered it a few years ago. There was a lot more of that in the past (which you can still discover if you roam the 20+ years of history captured here). I think the general idea is to mostly focus here on AYP related topics. That focus makes it easier for the forum moderators and is likely also why this forum so valuable for AYP practitioners visiting the forum.
Do you have a daily meditation practice? Here is a great place to start one! In either case, check out the free AYP lessons so you get a feeling for what most people here are into