I trade professionally for a hedge fund and got my start in Equities[option volatility]. 99% of all stock chatrooms and BBS' are simply touting stocks they own or are shorting. Read as much as you can about "Efficient Market Hypothesis" [not an advocate] and realize that the majority of gains in the market are driven by the broad index. Stock picking shouldn't be the goal.
Buy Investor's Business Daily and read it from cover to cover daily. It's like learning a second-language. Read, understanding comes later. Get the free trial to IBD, Invalid Link Removed Reading the WSJ and IBD is how I got an interest in the market. Most of what is found in the journals isn't of interest to me now as I trade exotic options and swaps.