OK, next dumb questions: (I'm assuming that the system automatically recognizes hardware devices like hard drives, ethernet cards, and flash drives)
1) How does the system name devices on the system? (/dev/???1) I am certain that it follows some logical order but I cannot find what rules it uses.
2) Is there some way to find out what hardware the system thinks is connected to it?

...and again, thank you in advance for all you guys who are willing to help the n00bz.

/lib/udev

The first question is a trick question. Distro's have been changing the way they name and use devices for many years and now seems to be the next generation. For example. HDx was both the way and the name where as we now tend to use scsi emulation even if on a ide disk so the name is now SDx. Another example is the way to address how pci cards are located.
So, a technical review of the distro or base OS would help in that area.

Second is hardware. There are many ways an OS might report a device. One is from bios reporting, another is a probe of devices, another is chips on devices detailing what they want the OS to know. I get the feeling there are more too.

Tools like lspsi and lshw and lsusb are a start. They may not find all devices.

I was afraid that that was the way that answer was going to go. OK, tell me this, how do you know and how would you figure it out? If it's a matter of just knowing the distro and knowing what conventions are used that's ok, but if there is some way to divine that information out of the system I would like to be able to get it that way. Again what I am looking for is top-level discussion about methods. It would be like telling me that my TV can be hooked to an HDMI device... I can figure out HOW i just need to know that it can be done. I hope that this makes sense and thanks again all!

...Oh and trist007, nice. Thank you, I had to look for it and I learned more in the search than when I actually got there. I still maintain that I have learned more about computers and computing by breaking them and HAVING to repair them.

"but if there is some way to divine that information out of the system I would like to be able to get it that way. "

Tools like lspsi and lshw and lsusb are a start. They may not find all devices.

If you need info on a display adapter then that is a different deal. I can't explain all choices without some better question.