1. Notifications

You can turn off notifications by e-mail by going to your profile, edit profile, Notifications (a link along the top of the screen below the tabs). From there you can turn off e-mail notifications to a number of things, including picture comments, profile comments, journal comments, etc.

2. Auto-Subscription to threads

Again, profile, edit profile. Click on the Forum Options link (right next to the Notifications link). TFS defaults to auto-subscribe to started topics (threads that you start). Change it from yes to no, and you will need to click "subscribe" on your own threads.

3. Subscribing to threads

On the top right of any thread, there is a small bar. Click "subscription" to subscribe to the thread.

4. Unsubscribing to threads

On the same bar you click to subscribe, click again and then click "Unsubscribe" and you will be unsubscribed to that thread.

this should be helpful to a lot of people!