define status and other newbie questions

1. I see status. My Status:   define status: rated / unrated? Other?
2. Is there an FAQ that explains various aspects of the site/forum?
3. I tried search for define status ... got back a bunch (that's defined as a lot) ;-) of responses but couldn't find the answer. question number three: does the search force you to page through "thousands" of responses to find the one you searched for? If so, could it "locate" the searched item and pinpoint it a bit?
4. Is there a way to "automagically" set topics I respond to as "follow topic?". If so where do I find it?
5. Did I just earn 5 points? ;-)

I can answer 4: tick off the box at the bottom of any forum topic that says "Track this forum topic".  An alert will show up on your home page when  there are new comments.  I'm not aware of any setting to automate this everytime you reply to something, however.

1. People generally use this for satire, e.g. Unemployed and bored or something.

2. Generally each thing on the site has its own help, e.g. http://www.chess.com/tournaments/help.html or 

http://www.chess.com/chessmentor/help.html.

3. The more terms you enter, the more accurate your search will be.

4. There is a button above your post box which says 'Track this forum topic'. Click it.

5. You only earn 1 point per post, I'm afraid  You get more points for blog posts and things, though.

Thanks Nytik ... you answered the other part of the question also ... where do I get notified. Darn I only got one point for that post.

Try searching the forums for "my status". It's not much better, but you'll get more posts. I'm going to try entering "learning chess".