Although it might be heresy for you bitcoin maximalists, the altcoins/mining subforum does have a surprisingly high signal-to-noise ratio. Here's a post from a 16 activity newbie that I just merited (and whose post history suggests more good things to come): https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5024771.msg45483725#msg45483725.

Of course, when I go slumming in the altcoin or bitcoin discussion subfora I never see a post worth meriting (but plenty of posters who get reported for plagiarism) so if those are the only subfora you frequent then pickings are slim, indeed.