Ask HN: What language should a technically literate person learn first?

I've been recommending Zed Shaw's "Learn Python The Hard Way"[1] a lot lately. The way it's structured makes it suitable for a pretty wide range of skill levels, as someone with a bit of prior programming experience can just go through the exercises they understand more quickly, learning the Python syntax along the way.

So even if as you say you won't have any problems learning the language, it's still a good way to do that, and once done, you can learn a lot more from the docs, reading code, and other books.

[1]: http://learnpythonthehardway.org/

If you don't have a programmer friend you can lean on Seven Languages in Seven Weeks[1] by Bruce Tate will give you a nice overview of some good languages, so you can pick one that fits your way of thinking (or learn multiple languages and pick the right tool for the job for each project). You could complement that book with a nice Python primer, because this language (which is a personal favorite due to the nicely readable syntax)) isn't covered.

If you already know a bit of Lisp Clojure would be a nice match. Also, Python and Ruby are pretty much the default suggestions when people ask this kind of question. Personally, I wouldn't worry about the language choice, as long as you go with something that doesn't encourage bad habits (e.g. don't start with PHP).

[1]: http://www.pragprog.com/titles/btlang/seven-languages-in-sev...

You can't go wrong with really any language to get your feet wet. It's really a matter of finding documentation, books and a community you resonate with to keep your attention and get you excited about all of the possibilities.

If you're looking for a blog, I would advise you to look into wordpress or similar and avoid re-inventing the wheel. Save your creative energy for making something fun/interesting.