Thanks Giga for starting this thread.
I want to clarify one point here.
The old Visual Basic 6.0 is reffered to as VB6 or Classic VB. The name VB.NET or Visual Basic .NET is reffered to in framework 1.0 or 1.1 . Now it is called only with "Visual Basic" with the release number at the end like "Visual Basic 2005" or "Visual Basic 2008".
Ok here are some useful links for those who want to learn about Visual Basic.NET /.NET
Visual Basic Home Page
Visual Basic Express Edition Home Page You can download a free copy of this express edition and use it for learning
, register in the site to get the key.
How Do I Videos from Microsoft.
Appdev - The famous video tutorial site. They have many paid packages , but there are also some usefull free videos available in the site for registered users(free registration). Appdev is one of the top resources available on the internet.
CodeProject.com .. The best resource available for .NET , You have to register in their site to download attached demos and source codes. The registration is free.
VbCity.com - Another top site, covers Classic VB , .NET and VBA. Checkout the forum, that where the real deal is
Some books to reffer.
Visual Basic Black Book - Best for beginners
WROX Publications books are good for intermediate to expert programmers.
you have Begining Visual Basic and Mastering Visual Basic from WROX
EDIT: Almost forgot. If you donot know how to use a dataprovider then checkout *www.connectionstrings.com/ it has connection strings for almost all providers.