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Visual Basic is useful for when you want to create the odd Windows-only application that would just be used for simple things. Because of VB's simplicity, it's a short process to get a simple package deployed. VB is probably easiest to use for value-manipulations such as calculators or text converters, or perhaps COMAL is (but that's harder).VB is useful to develop the right frame of mind for programming, and you'll sure as heck need one if you want to program professionally. Other than that, it's pretty useless. Because it's not fully compiled into binary or assembly, users will also need the Visual Basic runtime files to run the program, which is annoying.If I hadn't already started with VB, I would have chosen something like Python to begin with - it is platform independent (meaning you can use it on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, whatever).

vBulletin manages to store images and many other files via SQL. I think there are PHP functions which build and unbuild image files into their binary code for database storage. It gives faster access times compared to webspace-based images.

Don't really like Flash. I don't like clicking stuff when I can't see where it will lead me.I will use SVGs (Scaleable Vector Graphics) on my sites when Firefox starts supporting them.

With HTML only, the only way to have a forum and guestbook is to have them hosted elsewhere (eg. proboards and bravenet). If you want them integrated into your site, you'll need a pre-hypertext parser such as PHP or ASP. You don't really need to know the languages to run the software, just (usually) a database and support for that language.If you have cPanel on your hosting, you'll most definately have PHP and MySQL installed. Fantastico helps too.

Great work on the site, guys. I've learnt everything to do with XHTML, CSS and XML because of this site, and frequently refer people willing to learn there. The most friendly, easy-to-use resource on the net!I'd like to see a more extensive PHP section, but I understand that the administrators use ASP over PHP, and so may know more about ASP (hence the bigger section).Anyway, great work. Shame that Jelsoft don't do ASP versions of vBulletin, otherwise I suppose this forum could have been integrated into W3Schools.