[GRASSLIST:6352] GRASS-DOC list inactive?

[Kevin]

Hi List-

I'm new to grass and have a couple of questions that I don't see
answered in the archive.

1) Is the grass-doc list down or inactive?  I saw a request for
volunteers at http://grass.itc.it/gdp/index.php and joined the list but
haven't seen any activity and the archives show the last activity in
2003 I believe.

2) I just ordered M. Neteler, H. Mitasova, 2004. Open Source GIS: A
GRASS GIS Approach. Second Edition because I'm sure the book will be a
great resource for a newbie like me, but my question about it is this:
can I expect to find examples and tutorials that hold my hand
step-by-step in performing some number of the things that grass can do?

I tried the online documentation and tutorials (everything that one can
get to from the grass web pages) and although I'm sure they would be
very helpful for someone well-versed in GIS software in general (not yet
true for me), I was totally bewildered by them.  I have grass installed
and running with no problems.  I just don't know what to do with it or
how to do it.  I tried just fiddling around with it hoping that by doing
so, it would become clear what this and that are for, but it wasn't
helpful to me (just dense I guess).  I think I need data sets and
examples that tell me exactly what to do (step by step) in order to
accomplish this or that and then perhaps even some sort of conceptual
explanation of what this is good for.  Will the book help me with that?
If not, can someone recommend a general GIS learning resource for
someone relatively unfamiliar with it?  I'd be very grateful.

TIA.


-- 
-Kevin
http://www.gnosys.us