Dear Umath,
Well I think "beginners" is the phase from where we all start here, also in FW'ing.
This is so with myself as well, what I learned during the process of trying to make over 1000 postings is amazing. If you stay long enough in a forum like this, and really interested to learn, every n33b can be turned into a g33k. You do not have to know all that is running under the hood, but enough to evade a disaster.
I did not know much about security as I started to come here first, but was very motivated after a re-install because of a major virus accident, and I like to thank all the forum members who brought me where I am now. We have a lot of expertise here, and we learn everyday.
I think Sasza is not sarcastic when he tells like it is. There are still people around that think that AV products stop virus. That is not true. AV products react, they save you from harm after the fact, and if there is a zero-exploit, no AV-scanner or FW can help you, but your security policy and your brains can protect you in such a way that even the zero-day exploit cannot befall you. I think it is a good thing that Sasza unravels some of these security myths. Of course you cannot survive for half an hour without a good AV and FW, but they DO NOT IMMUNIZE, and they do not harden.
greets,
polonus