i downloaded an app in tar.gz format
i untarred it, then i did ./configure and make and now what??
is this what im supposed to do with these files?
and where does the actual program go??
damn im confused, how can i use these programs??
the only ones ive got figured out are rpms...

You're 2 thirds of the way there. Usually first off, there is a README and/or INSTALL file with the tarball after it's unpacked to let you know what to do to configure and run the program. Some require a ./configure while others only need a make then install, bringing us to the final third of the program install. As a user, after the ./configure and make type su then enter the root password to become superuser and then type: make install
Most programs default to installing files to either /usr/local/bin or /usr/local/sbin. If not, the README or INSTALL files will say where and what it is and how to use it.