I read the FAQ page and the About page, but no links to any help topics about the mechanics of using the site.

When I post a comment, can I used formatting?  Where is the format or markdown help?

Okay, when I actually ask a question I get the formatting help sidebar on the right, with a link to the formatting reference <https://askubuntu.com/editing-help>, but I do not get that link when I'm writing a comment.