In my experience, there are two options when working with web dev: get a job or go freelance.

Getting a job is probably easier if you have something to show, a small portfolio if you will. So you'd need to have something to show, and what I did was creating sites for my family's and friends' businesses, for free (3 websites, to be exact).

Going freelance is harder, not as safe as a regular job, but can pay better. I say can because it is not necessarily true, it can take months before you can really rely on it. You'd need a good portfolio as well, to show potential clients, and all the deadlines are usually defined by contract.

Still, as someone said already, PHP.

With PHP, you can go autonomous or get a job. It is still the most asked language on interviews for this kind of job. A lot of people make jokes about it, but it is still a strong standard.

Secondly, it is good if you can handle yourself with at least one CMS. Be it Joomla, Drupal, Wordpress, or any. Familiarize yourself with the CMSs and a free framework such as Joomla's Gantry and T3 or Wordpress' Sparky. It will help you get nice websites to deliverable states in much less time; especially if you decide to go freelance. That's how I do it. I use Joomla mostly.

In my experience, there are two options when working with web dev: get a job or go freelance.

Getting a job is probably easier if you have something to show, a small portfolio if you will. So you'd need to have something to show, and what I did was creating sites for my family's and friends' businesses, for free.

Going freelance is harder, not as safe as a regular job, but can pay better. I say can because it is not necessarily true, it can take months before you can really rely on it. You'd need a good portfolio as well, to show potential clients, and all the deadlines are usually defined by contract.

Still, as someone said already, PHP.

With PHP, you can go autonomous or get a job. It is still the most asked language on interviews for this kind of job. A lot of people make jokes about it, but it is still a strong standard.

Secondly, it is good if you can handle yourself with at least one CMS. Be it Joomla, Drupal, Wordpress, or any. Familiarize yourself with the CMSs and a free framework such as Joomla's Gantry and T3 or Wordpress' Sparky. It will help you get nice websites to deliverable states in much less time; especially if you decide to go freelance. That's how I do it.

Really, PHP is a bad language for beginners to learn. You can also go autonomous or get a job with other languages, but if you learn a different language you have way more hiring opportunities. People only use PHP for the web, and that's the only field you can get a job in with it. People use other languages (like Python or Ruby) for other things, not just web sites. From my experience as a professional freelancer for the past two years, you have more hiring opportunities with Python or Ruby because there are way more uses for them.

Also, the OP mentioned learning Django. There's a great Django CMS he can learn if he wants to go that route, although I like to use Flask when I'm using Python as the backend.

EDIT: Also, for the record, SeanMiddleditch downvoted me without actually responding to me. That leads me to assume that he doesn't actually have a response, and that he's resorted to downvoting people who he disagrees with.

EDIT: Also, for the record, SeanMiddleditch downvoted me without actually responding to me. That leads me to assume that he doesn't actually have a response, and that he's resorted to downvoting people who he disagrees with.

I most certainly have not downvoted anyone in this conversation. Downvotes can come from you know other people and stuff. Hell, take an upvote.

So far as not responding... I have way better things to do. My points are made and stand well on their own merit and your points are out there, too. Anyone reading this thread can come to their own conclusion about the topic, which has veered far from anything useful to the OP. Getting into an argument on the Internet with someone over something as stupid as this is not useful to you, me, or anyone else. I concede all points and you win and are a better human being than I can ever hope to be. Have a good day.

You've got to realize, you were the one who responded to all my arguments saying they were wrong. I'm not just blatantly attacking you out of the blue to make myself feel better, I actually want to ensure that the OP gets the best advice possible. Sorry about assuming that you downvoted me, I just got insta-downvoted and assumed that you'd be the one who'd do it.

I never said PHP is a great language, and as a C++ programmer I couldn't agree more that it is a bad one. But a quick search for job openings for web development, 6 of the 10 jobs at indeed.co.uk require previous PHP or even full LAMP experience, and that's what I am talking about. Is PHP bad? Yes. Is it dead? Not quite. If he want to get a regular job, his best bet is still learning PHP.

About going autonomous, I recommended a CMS. One can create a website using a CMS and visual framework, as I listed above, without having to write a single line of code. That's the productivity one should aim for when going autonomous. No Ruby, Phyton nor PHP.

So, coming from someone who actually works with web dev, PHP for a job, a good CMS with good professional templates such as Joomla and Wordpress (and a good pair of shoes for client hunting) if going freelance.

PS: Try clicking his reputation, before attacking him out of the blue.

I never said PHP is a great language, and as a C++ programmer I couldn't agree more that it is a bad one. But a quick search for job openings for web development, 6 of the 10 jobs at indeed.co.uk require previous PHP or even full LAMP experience, and that's what I am talking about. Is PHP bad? Yes. Is it dead? Not quite. If he want to get a regular job, his best bet is still learning PHP.

About going autonomous, I recommended a CMS. One can create a website using a CMS and visual framework, as I listed above, without having to write a single line of code. That's the productivity one should aim for when going autonomous. No Ruby, Phyton nor PHP.

So, coming from someone who actually works with web dev, PHP for a job, a good CMS with good professional templates such as Joomla and Wordpress (and a good pair of shoes for client hunting) if going freelance.

PS: Try clicking his reputation, before attacking him out of the blue.

And, as someone who also does Web dev. (and Software Engineering consulting) freelancing professionally, I'll say that there are plenty of jobs for Python and Ruby, and that I also agree learning how to use a good CMS is useful. Also, the majority of jobs don't require a backend at all, so before learning a backend language you should focus on getting really good with HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, and Jquery.

PS: Reputation doesn't make you right.

I think he meant check his reputation log before accusing him of downvoting you. Also, chill out. I'm sure it's possible to have a civil discussion about PHP and web programming without resorting to ad hominems and accusations (right?)

PS: Reputation doesn't make you right.

I think he meant check his reputation log before accusing him of downvoting you. Also, chill out. I'm sure it's possible to have a civil discussion about PHP and web programming without resorting to ad hominems and accusations (right?)

The reputation thing completely flew over my head, I've edited my post accordingly.

I only started doing the ad hominems as a joke (thus why they were bolded and in the same format as his), because he said:

If you haven't realized this yet, you're too new to programming.

And he decided to say this:

So far as not responding... I have way better things to do. My points are made and stand well on their own merit and your points are out there, too. Anyone reading this thread can come to their own conclusion about the topic, which has veered far from anything useful to the OP. Getting into an argument on the Internet with someone over something as stupid as this is not useful to you, me, or anyone else. I concede all points and you win and are a better human being than I can ever hope to be. Have a good day.

Which boils down to "I actually have a life, you don't have a life. Arguments on internet are dumb and stupid (even though I just started one), and you're dumb and stupid for replying to me because you don't have a life."

But I understand your point.

Just to add to the point - PHP is indeed important to learn and a good starting point.

Just think about the various Content-Manager-Systems out there ...

• WordPress
• Contao
• TYPO3
• Joomla
• Magento
• ...

Heck even the most well known Open-Source Forums use PHP don't they (didn't bother with any of them since a long time)?

Coding an small Plugin / Extension for any of those is both a good learning point as well as might generate some money if you really find something that are not existing. The good thing is - those are not even Open-Source and free but they're widely used giving you an larger audience and possibly some small Jobs that help you moving forward.

However I also second that HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript/jQuery Knowdlege should be equally important in getting to know with.

Python, Perl and the like are certainly lovable as well especially as those are closer to the Unix-Feeling and integrate with many Tools and Environments easily or how should I say it... er ... whatever. I'd still place them third just closely behind the others ...

1. HTML5, CSS3, jQuery/Javascript
2. PHP, SQL
3. Python, Perl and the like.

Keep in mind that you can work/learn Multi-Threaded and not only Single Threaded.

Just don't use to many Cores, give them proper Priorities and let them shift from time to time.

Edit:

5am time to sleep.

Text sounds weird. Whatever :D