Discussion groups are a great way to meet other people on the Internet.
It is the fastest way to fill up your e-mail with letters from new friends. Many times, the Frequently Asked Questions for these groups are a great way to become knowledgeable about a topic. They have been created in order to keep people from asking the same questions to a group, and thus cover useful issues. There is a searchable database available of many FAQs, so try it and see if your topic is there. Be careful what you post to these groups.