Dearest FlyerTalk members!

I was reading a blog when the author said something like "I have flown free to asia, morocco, and europe in the past thanks to information I learned on flyertalk). Well, that was a hell of a marketing pitch and here I am.
I find however, that a newbie like me can find the flyertalk forums quite a bit intimidating.
It also occured to me that even an experienced flyer could be unaware of of some users in order to find free travel. Even the most experienced professional sometimes needs to get back to basics. And let's show newbies like me some love. so, concretely...

What are the best ways to find free travel?