We certainly agree with the challenges a newbie goes through at the beginning. For the communities, you can alsoo check out the OCD Communities Incubation Program. There are also some resources here: newbies-guide.
whether you should convert HBD to HP as much as possible to make your own vote on other people worth a bit more, compared to saving HBD
This will already depend on you as to which you find meaningful or beneficial. Either way is a great option. Some do both too; save some HBD and powerup the rest.