Unclewebb, it would be presumptious to call you by another name at this point.

I have some questions for you.  I don't know if you are watching this thread any more, but we shall see.  If you don't respond, I may give you a try by PM.

I know very little about programming.  I know HTML pretty well.  I type HTML all long style since I find WYSIWYG editors to be cumbersome at times and am not at all happy at the super long and dirty code they produce.  So I have that going for me.  I am also pretty handy at DOS and batch processing.  That is no large feat, but it is something.  I used to mess around with BASIC a little, but never really got too deep into it.  I studied a little C when I was in middle school but quickly got sick of it when I realized that I would not be making any GUI applications.  I kick myself many times for not continuing study of C since that would give me a huge jump start.  Finally, I used to be quite adept at the programming language used in the TI-83 graphing calculators.  I spent many many hours making all sorts of different games on my graphing calculator while sitting in Physics or Chemistry classes.

So that is it.  I know really nothing about anything when it comes to programming other than some basic ideas of how it is done and a real basic understanding of layout and structure.  But I do have an interest.

I have pursued all things mechanical up to this point and have also dabbled in electronics.  But computers have only been a past time for me.

To cut to the chase, I am interested in getting into programming more.  I was wondering if you had any personal advice or insight for someone with interest but no real experience.  I know the best advice is to keep trying and keep reading.  But I am looking for a little opinion on direction; if you are willing to provide some.

Currently, I am reading the Thinking In Java Third Edition by Bruce Eckel.  It is a pretty old publication in the programming relm but is well written and is free in some electronic forms.  I am afraid that I may have to buy the book though since the CD included with the book may become a requirement as I delve deeper.  I cannot seem to find the necessary source files which some of his examples rely on.

So, any comments or opinions?  What programming language do you think is the most diverse and usefull these days?  What do you recommend for study methods?

Thanks for the consideration and the support up to this point.