jurek: it's not true the final score has any effect on rating on real-time sites such as KGS, IGS etc.

marfitalu & headius: Thank you both.

Marfitalu: Yes probably. It is incorrect though:
0 handicap should be black starts the game, white has komi
1 handicap should be black starts the game with no komi for white
2 handicap should be black starts the game with two stones, no komi for white
etc.
I'll put it on my list :)

Hm I tried to give furbster 2 handicap stones in a teaching game, but surprisingly he got 3. It is usual to regard the placement of the handicap stones as blacks first move. Maybe it was noticed before on this board or in the Go fellowship. Have to look it up.

night owl: As a beginner you indeed should start on 9x9. It is more easy to handle.
the x's you are talking about are probably the marking of dead groups. When both players pass, the dead groups should be marked. Brainking helps a little with the marking. When one player disagrees (which should be expected as Brainking very roughly counts) he/she can offer a better proposal as to which groups are dead. This causes very different markings.
I hope you understand, else invite me for a teaching game 9x9.

Hrqls: you could say they count as TWO points: one point for the stones, and another for the territory under the stone.
When they are alive it is no longer your territory :)

headius: headius: Another good suggestion in my opinion. I'm thinking of making a list with all the suggestions offered to improve Go.

SueQ: Also you will learn to understand the status of a group much faster: when you understand the two-eyes concept you just have to practise a bit.

For instance:
w f4, b pass, w g3, b h3, w g2 (atari), b g1, w h2 (atari which black cannot escape)

It costs black one point. The cut is lethal: f4 pass g3... and there is no good reply left for black
so if black is first he plays f4, if white plays first she plays f4 and black has to cover the cut which cost him 1 point

or else lose the j4 stones: so black has to play a stone in his own territory

white should play f4, black has to defend against a cut at g3

Can I say something about the game? I think it's not really over

But the other player MUST also make a move (or you would have lost a point by playing in your own territory

In general: if you are not sure you could also just go on playing and 'prove' a group is dead or not

The black group is alive: the black groups are connected because the white stones in between are dead

Because they cannot make a living group there: black can capture with d1 and g1 and white cannot prevent a capture in any way

Spirou: c1, c2 and f1 are dead

onigoroshi: You are even newer than the game of Go :)
Go was introduced very recently so not many players have a rating yet. Just play 25 rated games and you have a rating, but only 4 to get yourself a provisional rating.
The 3 variant (9x9, 13x13, 19x19) are considered different games, so when you have a rating in one of them you don't necessarily have a rating in the other two.

Marfitalu: On the Go fellowship there was a discussion on that issue. (You are welcome to join.) The reason they are unrated is because that is the easiest way now. Maybe Fencer will change some things later, I do not know. I myself see the game as in a kind of testing stage, probably Fencer is glad to hear about unexpected problems and possible points of improvement (like the 'correct' komi etc.).
Go is much harder to implement than most other games although the rules are simple.

Same problem still with Firefox, also with older Mozilla browser. Not however with Konqueror. Also not in Firefox in the other games with similar boards like pente.

http://senseis.xmp.net/?Komi

DragonKing: I'm used to 6.5 too. I believe 6.5 is used in Japan, but 7.5 in China. Maybe more experienced players than myself can clarify?

The game closest to Go on this site is probably Amazons...

Rose: Thanks Rose :)
I will put up a few links to help beginners.

Everyone is welcome to join the Go Fellowship.

Salkkuman created two Go tournaments:

Let's go!

Go Go Igo #1

Nice to have a Go discussion board too!