Python or Ruby for learning syntax?

Pick the one that you like most.

If you're not sure, pick the one with the best-sounding name.

If you're still not sure, flip a coin. :)

I'm not being glib, really. If you're just getting started with programming then the best thing you can do is just...get started.

At this point you shouldn't be worried about where the language will take you or what type s of jobs you're going to get, you should just be focused on getting the core concepts down, as those will translate into any language you choose to learn in the future.

HOnestly, if you want to learn the fundamentals of programming, there's a great path on lynda.com which is about the fundamentals of OOP. Simon Allardice does a good job of covering the generals of all OOP, including control structures, classes, etc...while indicating some fundamental differences between languages. I prefer Ruby myself because I find it easier to use and it has less structure requirements than a language such as python. However, the one to choose often depends on what you want to do once you learn the languages.