newbie to dive into web design...

iweb, plus .mac would be simplist, iweb with a payed for domain is also possible but you would need an ftp to upload it (and every alteration you would need to reload the whole thing, or fiddle lots at least) when ya confident with that you can start playing with iweb code after publishing to add 'things such as flash / rollover in) then you could move to rapidweaver and then maybe dreamweaver

 

Nvu and OSWD templates.

 

Check out RapidWeaver

 

iweb or Rapidweaver

When you say "relative newbie", then I´d say go with iWEB if you already have it installed. If you don´t have iWEB, then go for Rapiweaver - both are great apps. iWEB is a little simpler and more intuitive for anyone new to webdesign. Rapidweaver has more advanced functions, but is nevertheless fairly ease to learn/use. Both serve me well for different types of tasks.

Good luck on whichever you decide on.

 

Another vote for Rapidweaver.

 

CS3 is not a program, its a suite of programs and mostly a version marker.

I think what you mean to say is that you have DreamWeaver.

Its a damn good WYSIWYG editor, and I vote for you to tinker with it, but not use it like RapidWeaver or iWeb. Use it to learn how coding gets done in a WYSIWYG editor so you yourself can clean the code.

Learning HTML/CSS can be fun, but dont use only a WYSWIG editors "design" interface, go for the design/code view, know how it all works and youll be a better designer at the end of the day.

Getting your own URL is easy.

Google for "domain name". It works like this, you choose a name and an extension (.com, .us, .net) and apply for it with one of the companies that you just got in the Google search.

They now register your URL with the "internet phonebook" so that YOU own the URL (for a period you pay for).

You also need a place to serve your site. They will ask you for your URL when you sign up and notify the "internet phonebook" that your URLs pages are located on its machines, so that when someone goes to that URL it points to that place that serves your site.

 

Web Design on a Budget

iWeb,
Goldfish
Rapideaver (*)
Sandvox

Do not ignore Blogger; you can control web design and blogging to using Rapidweaver and Loghound's Rapidblog Addon

Plus you can post to Blogger from ecto. MarsEdit, MacJournal and SOHO Notes - but I suspect given the "thesis" part you might find MacJournal a pretty handy tool anyway.

Given the high level of flexibility RW provides I think you'd be hard pushed to better it, until the thesis is out of that way.

Good Luck