Most of the groups are free and are very open to novices and new users. The on-line magazine Computer Bits maintains a list of User groups in the Portland and Eugene, OR area. Community newspapers also advertise user groups. Generally, responses to that first email are also sent to the list. Mailing lists are in many ways the last secret place on the Internet.
Membership is by subscription only, usually subject to approval by the list-owner.
Often, e-mails to the list are subject to approval also. Furthermore, mailing lists are rarely advertised, making them difficult to find. E-mail volume can be very high on some mailing lists, with as many or more than 50 messages a day, but the rewards of having such a specialized network at your fingertips can be just as high.