Four tips for learning how to program (2011)

My number one tip is "Don't give a about what people tell you in the internet".

Seriously, you'll get confused with so many holy wars... "Don't use C++, use C!", "No! C++ is safer", etc. etc. ... just pick a language and use it, if you don't like it pick another and try it.

You learn more using a language for 1h than reading about that language for 3h in HN.

Seriously, the only tip for learning how to program is jumping in and just do it. That's it. You will figure out how to learn programming by doing that; and may be some day, you will write blog posts giving tips on how to learn programming. But until then the only way is just do it, and do it a lot.