Reading tablature will help you out as a lot of the material on the net is using them.
When first starting out the guitar you should learn
- Major Chords
- Notes on the fretboards
Once you've learned the major chords and that you know what notes are where on the fretboard, you'll be able to tackle the minor chords and start learning scales such has the C Major (most important scale).
You can also look at our Absolute Beginner's Guide