I am totally new at all this computer stuff and I was wondering what the best way to get started is. Like programming and stuff. I don't really know anything, but I think I would like to do learn how to use unix, java and all that stuff. Does anybody have any suggestions on the best way to get started? Thanks!

erm....start by reading the other posts.

Expatriate Ghost ask a similar question about 2 days ago and got an according answer. I believe it might be of use to u aswell.

PLease use the search functions and try not to re-post existing topics.

have you tried reading texts on programming or whatever else you want, anyone here is just going to tell you to read unless you have a specific problem that reading wont solve.

lets count the times "stuff" was said...

Well, for some reason I don't think you'd enjoy programming. heh, call it a gut feeling. I think that you'll find it a lot more rewarding if you learned how to webdesign. It's fun, pretty, and you get results immediately. With programming you'd have to learn a lot to do something even a little useful - so it can get boring quick. But with webdesign, you can do a lot with a little learning. You can even show off your website to friends which would be kinda hard in the programming area.

So here's what I suggest. Get a yahoo account if you don't have any and setup your webpage with yahoo's geocities - that's my favorite newbie webdesigner starting ground. They have a lot of helpful information on how to make webpages - and shoot, you can copy the HTML on other webpages and start playing with it - changing it up and figuring out what things mean.

Trust me on this one - go webdesign.

Thanks for all the advice and I'm sorry I didn't read the other posts first.

you'll learn, everyone has, that or we've driven them off..

Yeah as SR said, webdesign can be fun and rewarding. About programming for apps and stuff well it all depends what your motivs are.
More precisely, what do you want to be able to do, why, how would you like to achieve it.

after knowing that, ask for directions on specific languages

I really don't have any motives. I just thought learning to program would be fun. I took a computer class when I was in high school and I kind of liked it, so I thought I would try programming! As for your other questions, I guess I haven't given that much thought to it. I just want to learn the basics, I guess. And I think I will try to do webdesign too!

Well for an app rewarding-like language I would suggest VB because it'll get u nice windowy win-based working application with a easy and comprehensible language of which the minimal can be learnt in little time.

Then I suppose the quality of your applications depends of how much time and effort you'll have invested in coding.

BTW VB = Visual Basic

It's from Microsoft and designed for windows and therefor windows based applications as I said above.

Thanks, Soap! I will definately look at Visual Basic. Do you have any suggestions for sites or should I just do a search on it?

You could start here

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbasic/support/vb6.asp

http://www.blackbeltvb.com/

http://www.vbexplorer.com/VBExplorer/VBExplorer.asp

http://www.vbworld.com/

http://www.thebestweb.com/vb/tutorial.asp

and visual basic can lead you into asp another Microsoft product. Happy trails girly

Thanks for all the sites, Le4rner! I will check them out!

When I was in my early newbie stages I learned alot from this site...

http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey

give their tutorials a try.

Na...Gizzy, if we drove off everyone who didn't learn, where would 98% of the UGN population come from?

I'll try that website too. Thanks, Jitendra!

Well Webmonkey is awsome for web design.

IE.. HTML, Java Script, Learning DHTML, CSS, Perl PHP, ASP, ect ect ect ect....

But If you wana learn VB or C or C++ you will not get much help there.

Thanks again, Le4rner!

3RD GRADE - HTML
5TH Grade - Some Java
6TH Grade - mIRC Scripting (people don't like counting that as a language. well fuck you!)
7th Grade - Visual Basic
Freshman year - ???

That's how I learned. I started with Angelfire. Though it seems everyone disagrees with it, and SO DO I now. Umm....Visual Basic, to get a compiler, you're going to have to pirate it. I can't tell you how, because that would be against UGN rules probably. message me on Aol instant messenger: dhm digital phun, i can help you out there. Umm....but get deeply into web design. After you MASTER html, try Perl. I started Perl, but then my mom's rules got in the way,(yes i got grounded from the comp)

http://www.google.com, use that for help, RESEARCH for your answers. umm...message me sometime.

Thats a very good observation Le4rner, but most anyone interested in programming should learn the basic 'web design' languages before they move to the true programming languages such as C or C++. They most have a good foundation on which to place this knowledge if they wish to retain and/or be able to get any use out of them.

heh, no. since HTML is like a 100 miles away from programming languages - it doesn't matter a twit which you learn first.

try C++, im justnow starting and it is very interesting and complicated... im looking forward to tha adventure.

ive heard python is a really good programming language to start off with...

http://www.python.org/

ya, python is a newer and easier alternative to perl.