Where might a beginner...begin?

I've been coding, off and on, for over 10 years - there's still no substitute for taking other people's programs and making small changes and modifications to see how the code works and what does what. It's also pretty useful for seeing how code should be structured and laid out.

Once you've picked up on the basics and are familiar with the rudimentary commands, set yourself a goal, a small project idea you can accomplish in just a few days...