It is a bit frustrating trying to learn some aspects fo the game when there is no online database to describe what modules and techs do.  Is there someplace where this is available?  My googel searches are coming up empty and the offfical wiki is threadbare at best.

The Offical wiki is still under construction, Aitarus did make a database of module stats, & the techweb is it's own database.

For other stuff there is the ITER: The ES2 Knowledge Base Thread

Thanks, already found the knowledge base thread and it is incredibly useful.  I just get frustrated when, for example I am on the diplomacy screen and I am trying to trade for a tech that gives me a better shield module and I have to exit out and go back to the research screen every time I have to compare.