Use the google search option (the tab at the top LEFT of the forum window). It is your friend, while the standard search text box (at the top RIGHT) is about as useful as the aforementioned spam posts.
If you make learning/gaining knowledge your primary forum objective and drop monetizing the forum much further down the priority list, you will be successful. If you switch up those priorities, you will probably end up frustrated.
Good luck!
I sincerely love this advise.. Will look into this once I am done with my signature, it's half way down, lol. I think this is more of the reason people are successful in this forum... One can't think deeply like this except they make extensive research. Thank Goodness I scrolled through... ☺