Perhaps we can get a bullet list of canning do's, don'ts, and resources like the USDA guide that The Grey linked to in this thread together and have a sticky put up. Canning is a big part of preparedness/self-reliance in my life and I think many who would like to get into canning probably find it overwhelming. It may give them a place to start.

I would encourage new folks to the canning fold, actually visit someone who has done it for many years and even those who have done it for many years see how someone else sets up their workspace, etc. I find that when I brew beer with someone else, I pick up different procedures that I never thought about.