http://www.esp8266.com/wiki/doku.php?id=connect_to_esp8266_only_using_arduino_uno
And was surprised to read that the Arduino TX is connected to TX on the ESP8266 and that the Arduino RX is connected to RX on the ESP8266. I'm very much a newbie and I'd assumed that TX->RX and RX->TX. Are the instructions in error or am I missing a concept (or something else)?
Later ... I built out the Wiki page example ... and it seems to work exactly as advertised. I'm still curious on TX->TX as opposed to the "switch around" that I thought might happen. But it does work as described.