I've been in and out of the game for the last couple years.
It's a lot of fun, but very challenging, and unless you know someone personally in that game, you CANNOT trust them. Backstabbing and theft is how the game works. Do not expect honor amongst theives. Never store items that you cannot replace in stations that your corps have offices in, because they may be able to raid your stuff.
To be good, you have to devote time. Unlike other games where you can buy gear on auction houses and the like, you literally need to spend time learning the skills to make things work. I think I have roughly 6 months worth of game time, and that makes me a somewhat legitimate pilot. 6 months of skill training has made me competent at flying and fighting with certain ships. I know people who have 2 years worth of skill time and in certain company they'd be chumps.
From what I know of you Gator, I doubt there will be a whole lot you'd enjoy about the game. Like I mentioned at first, it thrives on being a dirtbag. Piracy is the quickest and easiest way to make money. Also the most thrilling. And the game developers encourage the behavior. Corporations and alliances have literally lost tens of thousands of dollars (real world money) due to corporate theivery and other shenanigans. Being a high sec miner can be entertaining for a short time, but it gets boring after a while, and you'll want to start expanding your operations, getting into low/null sec things, and that's when it gets ugly.
If you stick with it let me know. I can direct you to a corp that's got some decent folks in it. They are pirates, but I do know one of the guys who runs it personally and he's not the type who'd screw you over. Just other people.
Also, I've got a Xbox 360 and a PS3. Shoot me a PM if you want my handle, maybe we've got some mutual games.