Into computer madness

Hi there people, i've been reading through the newbie guide and i think i have an o.k. grasp of how to behave in this new place but have only had a computer since november last year so i'm even a computer newb. All i'm going to do here is give you a little info on where i'm at at the moment and then if i can get some good advice from any of you i'll go off again for a while and try and learn some stuff before i next post.

I did RSA 1 wordprocessing, NICAS spreadsheets/databases at courses before i got a computer and was originally just looking for any type of office work.

Then i got a computer.

Now i think i'm looking towards the areas of either programming (which obviously has loads of different routes/areas in itself) or web-design, maybe even domain buying/selling further in the future. So to get straight to the point (hopefully) i got a computer and started trying to learn whatever i thought was best. I've been trying to understand how the registry of the OS i'm on (windows ME) actually works and what different things i need to learn in order to be able to start getting into programming/web-design. It was at this point that i fell into the abyss, got lost and have been at the computer almost every day and night since (2 months plus) trying to learn and get past this horrible computer newbie stage. (Being a forum newbie isn't so bad but being a confused computer newbie just plain hurts as you vets know(!))

I've got my own angelfire account and have been learning the basics of HTML but as soon as i got to CSS/Javascript/Java i got lost and have been stuck for where to even start. Even with tables and frames for layouts in a webpage i've found that the guides i've looked at so far haven't really helped me to suss those areas out. For instance i want a good looking layout that uses tables with links in them (one on either side of the page) and text in the middle thats centered in a third table that takes up about 70% of the page. Anyway thats for the web design forum or something but just trying to let you know where i'm at.

So, all i'm looking for (!) to start me off is a bit of help or advice on where exactly to start with regards to learning how to proceed with sussing my OS and also learning what the actual benefits would be of learning Javascript/CSS/Java/Perl/PHP/C++ etc, and where the hell a good place to start would be. It's o.k. learning how to put this and that cool thing into a webpage with CSS/Javascript but how long does it take to progress to the point that i can write my own stuff from scratch? Vets/Hackers here : i've been told the right sites to go to but can you remember what exactly you started learning first with regards to Javascript/CSS? Also with regards to the WindowsME registry and MSDOS how do i learn how to use them without just putting in commands and having to reinstall windows all the time because i've messed with things that the OS needs to run with? I've got a Universal command guide to operating systems to help if i need it but i don't want to crash the computer all the time messing around. And what good will it be learning the WindowsME OS when i want to eventually get Linux or UNIX?

My PC doesn't have a good graphics card at all and is running on an AMD M6 (TM-2) processor and i have no money too so that adds a little to my plight aswell lol.

Hmmm, this post has gone on for a while now (yeah i know, over soon) so all i'll say is if you can help, pick anything that you want but don't feel the need to answer questions that are relevant to other forums, i'll just see whats not been answered and take it elsewhere.

I tried to download the Java platform from JavaSun but it stalled at 8%, the Borland 5 compiler wont fully install with the install wizard and i'm confused with what to do with regards to making new paths and putting this and that in to get it to even install so what forum/site do i go to to get a C++ or a Java compiler (Javasun won't install, and have not the first clue why sorry.) that fully installs itself with its own install wizard? And i have not the first clue about hardware.

Finally I'm a big fan of The Matrix and William Gibsons books that i've read so far (Neuromancer, Virtual Light, The Idoru, All Tommorrows Parties) and have been inspired to get into computers even more after reading them, especially the ability of one of the characters in All Tommorrows Parties to see nodal points, that rocked. (so did Case though lol he's one of my idols) How do you think that these fictional works really impacted and changed the worlds of hacker communities, computers in general?

Like i said, i'm just posting this and then i'm gonna get back to learning, it's good to be here and will try my best to refrain from getting under your feet/spamming/flaming etc when i do start posting more, when i got here it was like stepping out of the mad abyss that i've been in lately and finding Nirvana.

P.S. i've downloaded Sygate firewall, AdAware and Avast from links here already so thanks for the help so far.

Later,

Eonfire.