Hi!
I'm somewhat of a newbie myself. Like a lot of people here, I came to the OB because I found myself smitten with orchids and stumbled across it while trying to find info online.
Ditto what Sheridan said re: ordering orchids online. There are just so amazingly many different species, not to mention hybrids, out there. And each one provides its own deep learning experience.
Plus, (and this certainly applies to the OB as well), the internet has made so much info about growing orchids available to anyone who has a computer and can get online. Check out
Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia It's crazy to me that that kind of resource is available online for everyone.
Finally, it's so incredibly wonderful to be able to learn from each other, compare notes, see each other's collections, etc. even though the OB members are scattered all over the world (take a look at the Member Map!) It's a real community.