If you want stuff to read, and if I understand that you just want Something That Works to get up and running quick, with little frustration, then some of the posts that helped me the most were:
Dicta Cruiser (I fly an escort now and love it, but I started in cruisers, even though my main is a Tac; a popular choice judging by the number of people I see in this setup; they're slow as heck, but you will have a hard time getting killed in one, and they'll do the job eventually; this post will give you some basics on how to get the most out of them) http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=76064
Guide to Successful Premades (focused on hardcore PvP obviously, but lays out some solid space combat archetypes and builds that will execute them; good for helping you think about what role you want to play in teams, and how to play it) http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=198781
And no set of tutorials is complete without pretty pictures:
Comments
Go to starbaseugc.com and have a look under the tutorials tab. Loads of videos to help you
The Obligatory Post with Dozens of Links to Other Posts You'll Want to Read at Some Point
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=118581
What Character Should You Play? (for those who just want someone to tell them where they should start)
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=99550
The Ground Playbook (Something That Works for ground combat, which is the part that most often frustrates people at first)
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=204014
Exposing Ground Combat (excellent video on choosing ground weapons, with strong opinions on "what works")
http://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com/?p=2111
Guide to Tier 2 Cruiser (useful even if you don't fly a cruiser, since it's aimed at players just getting their first "real" ship)
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=106278
Dicta Cruiser (I fly an escort now and love it, but I started in cruisers, even though my main is a Tac; a popular choice judging by the number of people I see in this setup; they're slow as heck, but you will have a hard time getting killed in one, and they'll do the job eventually; this post will give you some basics on how to get the most out of them)
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=76064
Guide to Successful Premades (focused on hardcore PvP obviously, but lays out some solid space combat archetypes and builds that will execute them; good for helping you think about what role you want to play in teams, and how to play it)
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=198781
And no set of tutorials is complete without pretty pictures:
Blackavaar's Guide to Canon Colors
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?p=3265584
STO Graphical Ship Charts by Spidermitch
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=172816