(Stupid) Question Overflow: Particle effects, and how they work. [SOLVED]

[Plague Bringer]

See the title. Nowhere have I found a good tutorial explaining particle effects, or how to effectively craft them. But, of course, many of the mappers here use them, so this is my place to ask. Thanks for your patience with my questions.

[Asvarox]

read the manual

[CATAHA]

Well... manual very strange =]