Hi Froggy, Welcome to the forum!
I think the main hurdle you're facing here is your perspective of this site. It is full of really useful, anecdotal information based on other members past experiences/expertiese. I think you seem to be trying to use it's 'pages' in the same way you would use a woodworking manual. This is the wrong approach, in my opinion (IMO).
If there was a constantly updated index of topics covered then it would be possible to jump straight to that section and have your issue answered without having to interact with other forum members. As has been mentioned, this level of workload would be impossible to maintain.
Where this site shines, however, is the fact that you are perfectly welcome to pop up, introduce yourself and post a question about something you're finding difficult and have an answer usually within the hour, usually from people who have encountered the same issue when they were starting out. They might also suggest different ways of accomplishing the task that you may not have thought of and a book may have no mention of.
In my experience, the more time you spend lurking around the site, the more general info you pick up. You might read a post on something you have no intention of trying out only to find that in a few months time you do actually need to do it. If you can remember the subject keywords you can search for it or ask the question again.
What I tend to do is use Google to search for info on a particular topic (spraying oil paint is something I need to know more on at the mo) and figure out what it is you you still dont know. Formulate your question (with pictures, ideally so we know precisely what you're asking) and then post it in the relevent section. say what it is you want to know, what you've already learned (someone may have better info).
Some threads can disolve into entrenched debates on differing methodologies if you get two or more members who are equally passionate about their technique. The important word to remember here is 'passionate'. IMO, there aren't any truely arrogant members here who will shoot someone else down in flames just because they think they're better than them. As I've said, we've all probably encountered the same issues when we've been starting out. If we could have learned from someone elses mistakes at the time, it would have saved us a lot of trouble learning from our own. :roll: :lol:
... bit of a ramble, I know, but please feel free to ask any questions on here. We all love woodworking here (otherwise we wouldn't put up with the expense/pain/tears/blood..) and we want others to experience it for themselves!
