I hate to rain on the parade, but this thread is growing way too fast for a noob to follow, unless a just a quenstion and answer thread with additional patience.
I thought it would be a kind of DDF 4 Dummies, teaching them how to use the site, and the basics of the popular subjects so that they can jump in the regular threads.
I don't mind doing it, but would need a way to edit (my) first post of the thread, so that it can be updated, based on the posts later on in the thread. (A bit like the trip report master thread)