Learning by doing is the only way in my opinion. You could start with (X)HTML - think about something you could make a web page about, for example a homepage for your grandmother. Then start thinking about some dynamic content to add to the web page, for example a guestbook (for the server programming route), or fancy animations in JavaScript or Flash. Try to find your way by reading tutorials on the web.
The thing about programming/hacking is that it is not a fixed set of skills. Rather, first you think about what you want to achieve, then you start researching on how to do it. There is never an end to it, therefore just reading a book doesn't cut it. You might be a versatile Perl programmer, but suddenly you'll find that you want Ajax in your next web application, so you learn about that.
The thing about programming/hacking is that it is not a fixed set of skills. Rather, first you think about what you want to achieve, then you start researching on how to do it. There is never an end to it, therefore just reading a book doesn't cut it. You might be a versatile Perl programmer, but suddenly you'll find that you want Ajax in your next web application, so you learn about that.