Is it worth learning python?

[Dean Goodmanson]

> I wanna start learning some real programming language ...
> I don't know if this
> language is well-accepted in the market and if having a good python
> knowledge would give me a good job.. I am only 17 and I'm only making
> plans, so if you have any suggestions tell me.
> 
Python is most defenitely a real programming language AND 
an excellent language to learn and experiment with _many_ of 
the concepts from the computer industry and science.
It easily accessible with a natural environment for 
experimentation and beyond: Shell environment, 
natural for procedural and object orientation applications,
profesional
application development/software engineering concepts well supported
from
unit testing to managable coding practices and patterns, onto most of
the computer science concepts you can think of (
http://www.norvig.com/python/python.html , for example.)

>From there you can confidently venture into other languages, 
which I've found to overwhelm a newbie (well, at least myself) 
with syntactical elements that  obscure the fundamentals of 
programming and software development. 
(I have a C/C++ background, and wished I had found
Python instead of BASIC first, as many of the concepts implemented
in C/C++ I struggled with have a much easier learning curve in
Python.)

Start here: http://python.org/doc/Newbies.html

When your lost go here:
http://www.python.org/psa/MailingLists.html#tutor

(Of course, be sure to check the archives & google before firing off
your questions.)

On a side note: I'm assuming your focused on learning a language, not 
coding up a GUI as VB is primed for.  When you're ready to start
experimenting with Python in a GUI, a close VB comparison is the 
PythonCard project: www.pythoncard.org

- Dean