How to build websites and where do I start?

There are tons of web technologies and books and languages. But for a novice, where should i start? There is lots of answers for that question. The real question is, what is the purpose?

1) Do you want to just have a website? – answer: Build a blog / wordpress.com or msn live webspace will be enough for you.

2) I want to learn designing websites. – answer: I suggest you travel down the route of flash and actionscripting. (this part makes you a web interface designer.) Flash has lots of abilities now that cover lots of what other websites can do. Almost all browsers support flash and it will make your life simplier just by sticking to one technology.

3) I want to learning web programming. – answer: Pick a language of your choice. My suggestion is travel down the Php, Mysql route. You can explore into the frameworks which makes your life easier. But dont get too stuck in it.

4) I just want to program, from web to applications to everything. – answer: pick up jsp or python. these are both languages which you can program applications for macs/pcs and websites. The trend nowadays in cloud apps. where all the programes are run from your browser. like google mail, google docs (which is like ms word). The beauty of cloud apps is that it can be used by all.