Left Click Right Click ?

[Magic 1]

Is there a rule of thumb or some other guide as to what can be obtained either by right clicking or left clicking the mouse

[stevie21]

Clicking on what? Links? Files? Random parts of a website?
Generally, right clicking gives you lots of options *depending on what software and plugins you have installed* as many programs will add an option to the right click menu.
e.g. Norton Antivirus will add "Scan with Norton Antivirus".

I think that the bit of jargon for this right click menu is a "context menu" and some software will ask you if you want it to add itself to this menu when you install.

[kempie]

As stevie21 says, but in a more simple fashion:

left click performs the main action.

right click gives you a choice of actions.

Of course there may be exceptions to this rule of thumb.