How to decide on a computer career

Hi Jack,

I've been a graphic and web designer for a long time; so long that I missed the boat on learning to program. You don't say how much experience in programming you have.

If none, try an O'Reilly book (part of a great series): Head First Programming, A learner's guide to programming using the Python language.

If you're covered on programming basics, then choose a programming language that's web-oriented. PHP (and mySQL), or Ruby, Rails. Of course, HTML(4 and 5) and CSS(2 and 3), Javascript (in many flavors).

Check out some of the free online sites like Khan Academy or Code Academy in addition to learning through books.

For the design end of things, there's Adobe CS, though the expense may make it harder to learn than some of the open source alternatives like Gimp (image editing), Inkscape (vector drawing).

If this is not the kind of advice you're seeking, please let us know more about what you want.

Best, Marilyn