The best source of information on the Internet is other people. Regardless of how esoteric a subject is, there are people out there obsessed by it. Cold searching Internet sites will only take you so far, eventually you'll want to talk to the experts.
There are many ways to make human contact in Cyberspace. The oldest gatherings, BBSs (Bulletin Board Systems), are on what's called the Usenet and they predate the Internet itself. They work pretty much like a real bulletin board; visitors post public messages and anyone interested can post responses and comments. Other groups use mailing lists in which members send an email to a central site and it's forwarded to everyone who's signed up with the group. A popular newer forum is the IRC (Internet Relay Chat), also known as chat room. You sign on to an active chat room channel and can then trade messages with anyone else who happens to be using that channel at that moment. It's a lot like the old telephone party line, except that you're writing instead of talking.
Some discussion groups are monitored by the site owner to ensure that members stay on topic and play nice, but others are totally unregulated. In either case, use proper netiquette. Netiquette (Net etiquette) is simply rules for courteous behavior. When you visit an online group or discussion site, you're a guest. If you expect these people to help you with the information you're seeking, you should be respectful of the established members and their ways, even if you think that they're all just teen-agers. And they may be. But they may also have 10 years more experience on the Internet than you do and have exactly the information you need.
The first Netizens (Net citizens) were the engineers and programmers who developed the parts for the Internet about 40 years ago. In the process, they either made up completely new words or used old ones in completely new ways, many of which have now entered popular culture. They also evolved their own social customs along with the jargon. If you plan to spend any amount of time at all on the Internet, it will help if you to learn more about Netizens and their ways.
The first thing to do when you visit a new discussion site is to check for any FAQs or netiquette files. FAQs are Frequently Asked Questions. Old-timers simply get tired of answering the same questions over and over as new visitors discover their site, so they create a file containing the most common questions and answers. Newbies (newcomers) are expected to read this file first. You don't have to read the entire FAQ, but you should at least skim through it to see whether the information you want is already there, otherwise you risk irritating the group. FAQs also give you a feel for the group participants, the kinds of things they talk about and their style of discussion.
Netiquette files can cover just about anything the group thinks is important. For example, don't write in all caps, capital letters mean you're SHOUTING! Be very careful with jokes. Humor is subjective and culture-based, and our group is international. Remember that in person-to-person conversation, body language and inflection convey more meaning than the actual words. Use emoticons (emotion icons) like the smiley face, 8-), to clarify your word usage. (For a list of emoticons and their meanings, see http://www.computeruser.com/resources/dictionary/emoticons.html ). And so forth.
After you've read any FAQs and netiquette files, it doesn't hurt to lurk a few minutes before jumping into any ongoing conversations. Lurking simply means that you read other people's posts but don't respond. It gives you a chance to see how the group members interact, which ones seem more knowledgeable or helpful, and the kinds of topics they prefer to discuss. Once you have the flavor of the group, ask your questions. Some Netizens still have to pay by the minute to download files so be polite, but get to the point.
Caveat: now and then you'll run across rude, obnoxious posters. The anonymity of the Internet brings this out in certain people the same way that getting into their cars transforms some into rude, obnoxious drivers. Don't be hurt, don't be insulted; they're nasty to everyone equally, not just you. Ignore them. Once you explain what you want, most people will love the chance to be your personal expert.